REM sleep behavior disorder in narcolepsy with cataplexy

Narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) is a chronic disease characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, striking transitions from wakefulness into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, typically associated with cataplexy and other phenomena due to the abnormal occurrence of REM sleep elements during wakefulness (sleep paralysis and hallucinations) and frequent sleep/wake transitions. Nocturnal sleep in NC is usually disturbed by a large cohort of phenomena: vivid frightening dreams, several nocturnal awakenings, REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), periodic leg movement (PLM), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), sleep-related eating disorders and other parasomnias. Several clinical and polysomnographic aspects seem to differentiate RBD in patients with narcolepsy from idiopathic or secondary RBD, suggesting the involvement of specific neurophysiological, neurochemical and neuropathological substrates. © 2010 Springer-Verlag New York.