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Glycine Could Be Key To REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, Study Shows
ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2008) — There is new promise on the horizon for those who suffer from REM Sleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD) according to researchers at the University of Toronto.
RDB, a neurological disorder that causes violent twitches and muscle contractions during rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep, can lead to serious injuries. John Peever, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, discovered that an inhibitory brain chemical called glycine is responsible for actively suppressing muscle twitches in REM sleep.
Deficiency in glycine levels in the brain cells that control muscles (motoneurons) was found to cause the violent muscle contractions that mimic the primary symptom of RBD.
\"This study shows the mechanism that suppresses muscles twitches in REM sleep and this will lead to better treatments and potential cures for this disorder,\" says Peever. \"Treating REM sleep disorder may have much broader implications, since within five to eight years of being diagnosed with this disorder, 60-80% of individuals eventually develop Parkinson's disease.\"
The study findings are published in the March 26th edition of the Journal of Neuroscience.
REM睡眠行为障碍(RBD)是一种发生在REM睡眠中的睡眠行为异常,是一种最常见的睡眠行为障碍,发作时丧失正常REM睡眠时伴有的肌张力抑制,而代以和梦境一致的运动活动。常伴有精神压抑、过度饮酒、脑血管疾病和变性性神经系统疾病等。可见于任何年龄,但多见于60-70岁具有暴力性梦境的老年男性。
RBD临床表现为REM睡眠期出现的各种不自主运动或行为异常,多为猛烈粗暴动作,如拳打脚踢、翻滚喊叫、打人、性攻击等,半数患者还会出现颜面、口周及肢体的不自主运动,并伴有生动、惊人的梦境,常会引起自伤或伤及同睡者。行为可持续几秒钟到数分钟,发生的时间多在入睡90分钟后和睡眠近结束时。患者常采用一些自我保护的方法。暴力行为与暴力的梦境内容相符,醒后有的患者可以记忆起与发作有关的梦中情景。患者从不醒于暴力行为中,睡眠也从不被打扰。
诊断RBD需行多导睡眠图检测。RBD因不被人们认识,常被延误诊断和治疗。 小剂量的氯硝安定对绝大多数REM睡眠行为障碍患者有效。另外也要采取措施保证睡眠环境的安全. |
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