The REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire: Validation study of a Japanese version

Miyamoto, Tomoyuki; Miyamoto, Masayuki; Iwanami, Masaoki; Kobayashi, Mina; Nakamura, Masaki; Inoue, Yuichi; Ando, Chiharu; Hirata, Koichi

doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2009.05.007

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Volume 10, Issue 10 , Pages 1151-1154, December 2009

The REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire: Validation study of a Japanese version

Tomoyuki Miyamoto
- Department of Neurology, Center of Sleep Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
Masayuki Miyamoto
- Department of Neurology, Center of Sleep Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
- Corresponding author. Address: Department of Neurology, Center of Sleep Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, 880-Kitakobayashi, Mibu, Tochigi 321-0293, Japan.
Masaoki Iwanami
- Department of Neurology, Center of Sleep Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
Mina Kobayashi
- Japan Somnology Center, Neuropsychiatry Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
Masaki Nakamura
- Japan Somnology Center, Neuropsychiatry Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
Yuichi Inoue
- Japan Somnology Center, Neuropsychiatry Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
Chiharu Ando
- International Research and Education Center, English, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan
Koichi Hirata
- Department of Neurology, Center of Sleep Medicine, Dokkyo Medical University School of Medicine, Tochigi, Japan

Received 5 March 2009

Abstract

Background

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a parasomnia characterized by intermittent loss of normal skeletal muscle atonia during REM sleep and elaborate motor activity associated with dream mentation. Idiopathic RBD (iRBD) has a known association with neurodegenerative diseases such as synucleinopathies. Recently, a specific screening scale for assessment of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBDSQ) was validated. Detection of RBD using a Japanese version of the RBDSQ would be useful in the stepwise diagnostic process. We investigated the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of this instrument, the RBDSQ-J.

Methods

Subjects were 52 patients with iRBD diagnosed according to criteria in the International Classification of sleep disorders, second edition, 55 obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients who responded well to CPAP therapy after a diagnosis of RBD was ruled out by history and polysomnography (PSG) and 65 healthy subjects.

Results

An RBDSQ-J score cut-off of 5.0 was considered useful for differentiating the iRBD group from the healthy subjects or the OSAS group. Cronbach’s alpha for the entire RBDSQ-J was 0.866.

Conclusion

The RBDSQ-J had high sensitivity, specificity, and reliability and would be applicable as a screening method for iRBD in the elderly Japanese population.

Keywords: REM sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire, REM sleep behavior disorder, Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Validation study, Japanese version