Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34170404›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2022

Quantitative sensory testing and norepinephrine levels in REM sleep behaviour disorder - a clue to early peripheral autonomic and sensory dysfunction?

Julia Koch, Kira Willemsen, Imis Dogan, Roman Rolke, Jörg B Schulz, Johannes Schiefer, Kathrin Reetz, Andrea Maier

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Autonomic Disequilibrium at Rest in Autistic Children and Adults.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2025
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Neurochemical Features of Rem Sleep Behaviour Disorder.Journal of personalized medicine · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Julia KochDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Kira WillemsenDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Imis DoganDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Roman RolkeDepartment of Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Jörg B SchulzDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Johannes SchieferDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Kathrin ReetzDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany.
Andrea MaierDepartment of Neurology, Medical Faculty RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany. amaier@ukaachen.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3427-4806
RWTH Aachen University · DEForschungszentrum Jülich · DE

Funding

Medizinische Fakultät, RWTH Aachen University START 124/16
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionStudies have reported autonomic impairment in patients with idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD), which is considered a prodromal stage of alpha-synucleinopathies. It is still debated whether central or peripheral pathologies are first manifestations of alpha-synucleinopathies. This study aimed to characterize autonomic and somatosensory function in iRBD patients.

methodsThis cross-sectional prospective case-control study included 17 iRBD patients (mean age 66.3 ± 9.2 years) and 16 healthy controls (HCs, 66.6 ± 11.3 years). Quantitative sensory testing, neurological and neuropsychological assessments, norepinephrine blood plasma levels, tilt table examination with orthostatic blood pressure, and heart rate variability were carried out. Longitudinal data of 10 iRBD patients, including neurological, neuropsychological, and tilt table examination, were assessed.

resultsiRBD patients more frequently presented with orthostatic dysfunction than HCs (70.6% vs. 6.3%, p < 0.0001). Supine norepinephrine plasma levels were normal, but lower in iRBD (249.59 ± 99.78 pg/ml iRBD, 354.13 ± 116.38 pg/ml HCs, p < 0.05). Quantitative sensory testing revealed impaired cold (CDT) and vibration detection thresholds (VDT) on the foot in iRBD (CDT foot iRBD - 1.24 ± 0.31, HCs - 9.89E-17 ± 0.25, VDT iRBD - 1.11 ± 0.47, HCs - 1.46E-16 ± 0.25, p < 0.05). Cold detection thresholds differed between the foot and hand among iRBD patients (foot - 1.24 ± 0.31, hand - 0.56 ± 0.25, p < 0.05). Longitudinal data revealed an increase in maximum systolic and diastolic orthostatic blood pressure changes and a decrease in the Valsalva ratio in the follow-up group (p < 0.05).

conclusionThis study revealed autonomic dysfunction with somatosensory impairment, and decreased norepinephrine levels in iRBD, which may serve as a possible prodromal marker for developing alpha-synucleinopathy.

Indexed as

REM Sleep Behavior DisorderAgedAutonomic Nervous SystemCase-Control StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesHumansMiddle AgedNorepinephrineNorepinephrineAutonomic dysfunctionIdiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorderNorepinephrine levelsQuantitative sensory testingSomatosensory dysfunction

Identifiers

PMID34170404
PMCPMC8782803
OpenAlexW3175033494

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.