Researchers of a cross-sectional study of 291 people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) examined whether minor hallucinations (MHs) are more common in those with probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (pRBD), defined by an RBD Screening Questionnaire score ≥6. Overall, 69 participants (23.7%) met pRBD criteria. MHs were significantly more frequent in patients with pRBD than patients who were non-pRBD (50.7% vs 29.7%, p=0.015). “Presence” hallucinations were the predominant subtype and variable in content. All participants underwent a standardized assessment capturing demographics, clinical features, and detailed MH phenomenology, underscoring that pRBD may mark a subgroup with heightened susceptibility to early perceptual disturbances.
Within the pRBD subgroup, those with MHs were older, had longer disease duration, used levodopa or dopamine agonists more often, and showed greater non-motor and anxiety burden (higher Nonmotor Symptoms Questionnaire [NMS-Quest] and Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores). In binary logistic regression, longer disease duration and higher NMS-Quest scores independently predicted MHs in pRBD. Clinically, routine screening for pRBD and non-motor symptom load could help flag patients at higher risk for early hallucinations and prompt counseling or medication review. The authors note that longitudinal studies, ideally with polysomnographic confirmation of RBD, are needed to test causality and clarify trajectories.
Reference: Jiang Y, Zhu J, Zhao Y, et al. Minor hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease with probable rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder. Front Neurosci. 2023;17:1205439. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1205439.
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1205439/full
