Validation of the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire to screen for REM sleep behavior disorder in an aging and dementia cohort

Abstract Objective To validate a questionnaire focused on rapid eye movement sleep (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) among participants in an aging and dementia cohort. Background RBD is a parasomnia that can develop in otherwise neurologically-normal adults as well as in those with a neurodegenerative disease. Confirmation of RBD requires polysomnography (PSG). A simple screening measure for RBD is desirable for clinical and research purposes. Methods We had previously developed the Mayo Sleep Questionnaire (MSQ), a 16 item measure, to screen for the presence of RBD and other sleep disorders. We assessed the validity of the MSQ by comparing the responses of patients’ bed partners with the findings on PSG. All subjects recruited in the Mayo Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic Rochester and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville from 1/00 to 7/08 who had also undergone a PSG were the focus of this analysis. Results The study sample was comprised of 176 subjects (150 male; median age 71 years (range 39–90)), with the following clinical diagnoses: normal ( n = 8), mild cognitive impairment ( n = 44), Alzheimer’s disease ( n = 23), dementia with Lewy bodies ( n = 74), as well as other dementia and/or parkinsonian syndromes ( n = 27). The core question on recurrent dream enactment behavior yielded a sensitivity (SN) of 98% and specificity (SP) of 74% for the diagnosis of RBD. The profile of responses on four additional subquestions on RBD and one on obstructive sleep apnea improved specificity. Conclusions These data suggest that among aged subjects with cognitive impairment and/or parkinsonism, the MSQ has adequate SN and SP for the diagnosis of RBD. The utility of this scale in other patient populations will require further study.