Case in Neuroimaging
REMIND: REM-sleep In Neurodegenerative Disorders
REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by often violent enactments of dreams and constitutes a highly specific marker for the future onset of an alpha-synucleinopathy, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). It remains to be elucidated what characteristics define RBD and how the RBD-phenotype compares between PD and DLB. This can provide more insight into the pathogenesis of RBD, PD and DLB and potential future treatment options. Therefore, the REMIND study aims to identify multimodal markers that are associated with RBD in people with PD and DLB.
For this, we acquire high-resolution 7T MR images which allow us to zoom in and study the structural and functional aspects of specific brain regions involved in sleep regulation and neurodegeneration, for example the locus coeruleus. For this project, the Spinoza team provided support in the conception of the state-of-the-art MRI protocol as well as continuous assistance during challenging scan sessions. As a result, on the same day of visit we now collect information on motor, cognitive, neuropsychiatric and autonomic function. Altogether, the participants spend around four hours at the Spinoza center.
The REMIND study is a collaboration between the Amsterdam UMC, Sleep-Wake Centre SEIN, and the Spinoza Centre. The project is led by Ysbrand van der Werf, Karin van Dijk, and Evelien Lemstra and the daily operations are coordinated by Max Laansma and Eva van Heese. Questions about the study can be sent to .