Category: Tremor
Objective: To assess the frequency of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD) and dysautonomic symptoms in Essential Tremor (ET) patients and to identify the differences between patients with ET and RBD and ET without RBD.
Background: Essential Tremor (ET) is a common neurological disorder. Recent studies have shown that non-motor symptoms may be present in ET.
Method: Patients with ET meeting the criteria of the latest classification published in 2018 by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society (MDS), and followed at the Neurology Department of Habib Bourguiba Hospital (Sfax, Tunisia) were recruited. Dysautonomic symptoms were assessed using the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) questionnaire, and RBD symptoms were assessed using the Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder Screening Questionnaire (RBD-SQ), with a score ≥5 as the cut-off for probable RBD (pRBD).
Results: 45 patients with ET (23 females, 22 males) were included. The mean age was 65.20 years, and the average disease duration was 9.53 (±5.89) years. 4 patients (8.8 %) exhibited probable RBD (pRBD), and 31 (68.9%) showed at least one dysautonomic symptom, the most prevalent being gastrointestinal disturbances (55.6%), followed by urinary disturbances (37.8%). Sex, age of onset, disease duration and personal and family history were not correlated with a higher SCOPA-AUT score. However, ET patients with pRBD had significantly higher SCOPA-AUT scores in all explored domains (gastrointestinal p=0.009, urinary p=0.02, cardiovascular p=0.021, thermoregulation p=0.04) except for sexual dysfunction (p=0.98).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that RBD is present in ET and its presence is associated with dysautonomic symptoms. Since these symptoms are known to be prodromal signs of Parkinson’s Disease, we question if this patient subgroup has a higher risk to develop a synucleinopathy.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
S. Sellami, N. Farhat, N. Bouattour, KS. Moalla, S. Daoued, S. Sakka, M. Damak, C. Mhiri. Clinical Assessment Of Dysautonomia And REM Sleep Behavior Disorders in Essential Tremor [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-assessment-of-dysautonomia-and-rem-sleep-behavior-disorders-in-essential-tremor/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/clinical-assessment-of-dysautonomia-and-rem-sleep-behavior-disorders-in-essential-tremor/