Parkinson's disease motor progression in relation to the timing of REM sleep behavior disorder presentation: an exploratory retrospective study

REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is a frequent non-motor symptom of parkinson's disease (PD), and the timing of its presentation might have a role in the underlying neurodegenerative process. Here, we aimed to define the potential impact of probable RBD (pRBD) on PD motor progression. we conducted a longitudinal retrospective study on 66 PD patients followed up at the university hospital of rome tor vergata. patients were divided into three groups: with post-motor pRBD (pRBD(post), n = 25), without pRBD (pRBD(wo), n = 20), and with pre-motor pRBD (pRBD(pre), n = 21). Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scores, unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) motor scores, and levodopa equivalent daily dose were collected at two follow-up visits conducted in a 5-year interval (T0 and T1). pRBD(post )patients had a greater rate of motor progression in terms of the H&Y scale compared to pRBD(pre) and pRBD(wo) patients, without the influence of anti-parkinsonian treatment. these preliminary findings suggest that the post-motor occurrence of pRBD can be associated with an acceleration in PD motor progression.