Table 1.
Medical details of the participants.
| Group | Age (years) | Sex | Medication | Psychiatric disorders | Duration of RBD illness (years) | Frequency of RBD episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non medicated controls | 44 | F | – | – | – | – |
| 46 | F | – | – | – | – | |
| 61 | F | – | – | – | – | |
| 34 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 40 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 48 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 55 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 60 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 64 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| Medicated controls | 28 | F | Fluoxetine | MDD | – | – |
| 42 | F | Buproprion, escitalopram | MDD | – | – | |
| 60 | F | – | – | – | – | |
| 38 | M | – | – | – | – | |
| 43 | M | Mirtazapine | – | – | – | |
| 47 | M | Lorazepam, mirtazapine, lamotrigine, 5 HTP | MDD, GAD | – | – | |
| 50 | M | Clonazepam, zolpidem, depakote | MDD, BP | – | – | |
| 58 | M | Venlaflaxine | MDD | – | – | |
| 60 | M | Alprazolam, zolpidem, olanzapine | MDD | – | – | |
| RBD patients | 43 | F | Paroxetine, melatonin, tizanidine | MDD | 18 | n/a |
| 44 | F | Clonazepam, pramipexole, topamax, gabapentin | – | 3 | Currently none | |
| 61 | F | Citalopram, alprazolam, clonazepam | MDD | 35 | Weekly | |
| 36 | M | – | MDD, GAD | 2 | n/a | |
| 36 | M | Citalopram, clonazepam | MDD | 0.5 | Monthly | |
| 47 | M | Buproprion, venlafaxine, clonazepam | MDD | 2 | Weekly | |
| 55 | M | Sertraline, clonazepam* | GAD | 6 | Monthly | |
| 59 | M | Clonazepam*, pramipexole | – | 3 | n/a | |
| 66 | M | – | – | 16 | Weekly |
The duration of illness for RBD patients began when symptoms were first noticed. The frequency of episodes ranged from a few times per week to a few times per month. One participant on clonazepam was not having episodes at the time of their study. n/a indicates that the frequency could not be precisely determined because of an absence of a bed partner or because of a vague medical description (such as “chronically acts out dreams”).
*Indicates that clonazepam was tapered before the sleep study. The list of indicated medication includes any antidepressants, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants or other CNS drugs, and excludes opioids, anti-hypertensives, corticosteroids, asthma medication or hormones. 5 HTP, serotonin; BP, bipolar disorder; GAD, general anxiety disorder; MDD, major depressive disorder. The medicated control group and RBD patients were not statistically different with regard to the occurrence of GAD, MDD, and the use of antidepressants, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (Fisher’s exact tests: all p > 0.05).