Study on Sleep Spindles in Patients with Idiopathic Rapid 
Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Xixi Sun; Yunfei Yin; Jialu Li; Xuan Wang; Zhou Fang; Chengjuan Xie*

doi:10.70711/pmr.v3i3.8637

Study on Sleep Spindles in Patients with Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Xixi Sun, Yunfei Yin, Jialu Li, Xuan Wang, Zhou Fang, Chengjuan Xie*

Abstract

Background/Objectives: To investigate sleep spindle characteristics in idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder
(iRBD) patients. Methods: Fifty iRBD patients and fifty matched controls underwent polysomnography and neuropsychological assessment.
Results: Compared to controls, iRBD patients reported worse subjective sleep quality (elevated PSQI, ISI, ESS; P<0.05) and exhibited
objective sleep disruption: lower sleep efficiency, longer wake after sleep onset, increased N1 sleep, and decreased REM sleep (all P<0.05).
Spindle analysis showed reduced density, prolonged duration, and slower frequency (all P<0.01). Cognitive impairments were observed in
memory, executive, and language domains (P<0.05). Cognitive decline correlated with increased N1 sleep but not with spindle parameters.
Conclusions: iRBD involves multidimensional sleep abnormalities and cognitive impairment. Spindle alterations may indicate early
thalamocortical damage, but their dissociation from cognitive performance suggests complex early-stage mechanisms. Macrostructural sleep
disruption appears more directly linked to daytime cognitive dysfunction.

Keywords

Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder; Polysomnography; Cognitive Function; Sleep Spindle

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/pmr.v3i3.8637

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