Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder is associated with decreased quality of life and stigma in people with Parkinson’s disease

Background Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may present with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD). We therefore investigated the association between RBD and quality of life (QOL) in people with PD. Methods Individuals with PD and a Mini–Mental State Examination score ≥ 24 were divided into two groups using the RBD screening questionnaire (RBDSQ): those with an RBDSQ score ≥ 5 were assigned to the “probable RBD” (pRBD) group, and those with a score < 5 to the “non-pRBD” group. Participants were then evaluated for motor symptoms (Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III and modified Hoehn and Yahr Scale), cognitive functions (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Frontal Assessment Battery [FAB]), anhedonia (Snaith–Hamilton Pleasure Scale), and QOL (Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire [PDQ]-39 total and subscores for mobility, activities of daily living, emotional well-being, stigma, social support, cognition, communication, and bodily discomfort). Each measure was compared between the two groups (Mann–Whitney U test/ χ 2 test). Multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors contributing to the total score and the subscore of the stigma domain of the PDQ-39. Results Ninety-three individuals with PD were recruited (mean ± standard deviation age, 67.0 ± 10.6 years). The pRBD group exhibited a longer disease duration ( P = 0.006), worse FAB ( P = 0.015) and PDQ-39 total (P = 0.032) scores. RBDSQ scores correlated with higher scores in the PDQ-39 stigma domain ( B = 2.44, P = 0.033). Conclusion RBD is associated with worse QOL and stigma in people with PD. The RBDSQ is a useful tool for the prediction of such disturbances in QOL.