World Sleep 2022 | Sleep as a biomarker for neurodegenerative disorders

Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD, Stanford University Center for Sleep Sciences, Palo Alto, CA, discusses current work on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD). It is becoming clearer that enacting dreams with violent movements is often a precursor of Parkinson’s disease – inferring the importance of designing clinical trials for RBD to try and prevent or delay the onset of the disease. Prof. Mignot states that sleep as a biomarker for neurodegenerative diseases, or other neurological conditions, will be very important; having access to equipment at home will allow for a more efficient and effective means for data collection. Thus, sleep will act as a window to the brain – being utilized for disorders such as RBD. This interview took place at the World Sleep Congress 2022 in Rome, Italy.