Researchers are getting closer to tests to diagnose and distinguish Parkinson ’ s from similar diseases .
Section 02 — Understanding and Living with Risk Factors
RBD is treatable . Part of the treatment includes keeping you both safe and helping you both get the most restful sleep you can . Sometimes doctors recommend you sleep in separate beds or even separate rooms . This usually is temporary , until episodes become less frequent or less intense . But sleeping apart can be tough , especially when you ’ ve been sharing a bed for years or decades . Some couples find it helpful to spend time talking or relaxing together in bed right before going to sleep separately or after waking up in the morning . Others wind down together before bed by reading , drinking a cup of tea , or talking about the best part of their day .
While taking steps to optimize sleep , make sure you work on other aspects of health , too . Keeping healthy habits , such as exercising regularly and eating well , is easier when done together . Find something you both enjoy : a morning walk , an afternoon hike , or a weekly class at the gym or online . Download a few new recipes , take a cooking class or buy a new cookbook . These and other activities can make working out and eating well more fun and having a partner can keep you accountable .
Sleep is an active area of brain research — with efforts under way to understand normal and disordered sleep in its own right as well as its connection to other aspects of health and disease . Many people living with sleep issues and their bed partners report that joining research studies together is a powerful way to support each other and take charge of their health . In fact , people who act out dreams are in a position to make especially valuable contributions to Parkinson ’ s research — as are their loved ones .
Learn more at michaeljfox . org / ppmi-study .
Where might living with RBD lead ?
After many years or decades of living with REM sleep behavior disorder ( RBD ), some people have no signs or symptoms of brain disease . Others develop Parkinson ’ s . Still others ( far fewer ) develop a condition related to Parkinson ’ s , such as Dementia with Lewy Bodies ( DLB ) or Multiple System Atrophy ( MSA ).
These conditions have much in common with Parkinson ’ s . They share risk factors , including RBD and certain genetic links , and brain changes . They also have many of the same symptoms , such as tremor , slowness and stiffness . But they have other symptoms too , such as significant memory and thinking changes .
Early on , these diseases can be hard to separate . There are not yet tests , such as brain scans or blood tests , to tell them apart . Instead , doctors diagnose these conditions by talking with you and your loved ones and carefully examining how you move and walk and how you process and remember information . If you have RBD and experience trouble moving , changes in thinking or any other new symptoms , it ’ s important to see a doctor who is expertly trained in diagnosing and treating these conditions , a movement disorder specialist . ( Some people choose to see a movement disorder specialist shortly after diagnosis with RBD , even if they have no other symptoms , to learn more and build a relationship .)
Researchers are getting closer to tests to diagnose and distinguish Parkinson ’ s from similar diseases . They ’ re also working toward predicting who with RBD will get which , if any , brain disease . And because of overlaps in these conditions , research into one advances understanding and treatment of others .
Researchers are getting closer to tests to diagnose and distinguish Parkinson ’ s from similar diseases .
For now , if you live with RBD , you can manage risk for both Parkinson ’ s and related conditions the same way :
Read Protect Your Brain at Any Age ( page 12 ), work with sleep and movement disorder doctors and get involved with research . To learn more , visit michaeljfox . org / atypical-parkinsonism .
30 The Michael J . Fox Foundation for Parkinson ’ s Research