REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD): Personal Perspectives and Research Priorities

RBD research is progressing rapidly, now situated at the crossroads of sleep medicine, neurology, psychiatry, and neuroscience. Current studies focus on understanding neurodegenerative progression, patient enrollment in neuroprotective trials, and the epidemiology of RBD, as well as its links to conditions like traumatic brain injury, PTSD, and depression. The formal identification and naming of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) occurred between 1985 and 1987, following its historical development from 1966 to 1985.

Dr. Carlos Schenck, who, alongside Mark Mahowald, was the first to describe RBD, continues to play an active role in the field, currently serving on the NAPS Scientific Advisory Board. In a recent publication in the Journal of Sleep Research, he reviewed key milestones in RBD and synucleinopathy research and discussed the current research priorities.