Principal Investigators


MUDr. Petr Dušek, Ph.D.

Institution


Charles University in Prague, First Faculty of Medicine

Contact information of lead PI


Country


Czech Republic

Title of project or programme


REM sleep behavior disorder: predicting the risk of neurodegeneration

Source of funding information


Czech Science Foundation

Total sum awarded (Euro)


€ 265,888

Start date of award


01/01/2016

Total duration of award in years


3

Keywords


Research Abstract


Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) characterized by dream enactment behavior associated with loss of REM sleep muscle atonia is recognized as prodromal stage of neurodegenerative synucleinopathy. By studying a cohort of approx. 100 iRBD enroled through population screening we intend to get insight into pathophysiology of earliest phases of neurodegeneration. In addition to already established biomarkers (DaTSCAN, olfactory testing, color sensitivity, cognition, electroencehalography, substantia nigra echogenicity) we will examine the value of quantitative neurophysiological tests (acoustic speech analysis, objective examination of bradykinesia, instrumented gait analysis), advanced MRI (neuromelanin-sensitive imaging, quantitative susceptibility mapping) and biochemical tests (urate, markers of iron metabolism). We will test hypotheses that quantitative analysis of speech, finger movements and gait detects abnormalities in the earliest iRBD stage and together with advanced MRI and biochemical tests can serve as sensitive predictors of early conversion to neurodegeneration.

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