Dream enactment and violent behaviour during REM sleep: a new forensic and psychophysiological issue

Violent behaviour during an RBD episode is usually interpreted as due to an enactment of aggressive contents of dream experience in patients with neurodegenerative disease or narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC). RBD may have important forensic implications, given the potentially harmful consequences of the enacted dream for the bed-partner or the patient him/herself, but in a "noninsane" condition. Indeed, a patientl with RBD acts within the bounds of the dream and is unaware of the surroundings, and thus may not form intentions or appreciate the personal or interpersonal consequences of his/her behaviour.