Citation

Schenck CH, Lee SA, Bornemann MAC, Mahowald MW. J. Forensic Sci. 2009; 54(6): 1475-1484.

Affiliation

Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry, Hennepin County Medical Center and University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55415. [SAL, research assistant.].

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1556-4029.2009.01163.x

PMID

19788703

Abstract

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by loss of the muscle atonia of REM sleep, with release of complex and violent behaviors that are often attempted dream-enactments. This study reviewed the literature on RBD with regard to potentially lethal behavior. A total of 39-41 clinical cases of RBD associated with potentially lethal behaviors to self and/or others were found, involving a child and adults of all age groups, that manifested as choking/headlock (n = 22-24), defenestration/near-defenestration (n = 7), and diving from bed (n = 10). A total of 80.8% (n = 21) were males; 19.2% (n = 5) were females; mean age was 65.6 +/- (SD) 13.8 years (range: 27-81 years, and a child). (Gender/age data were not listed in the remaining cases.) An etiologic association of RBD with a neurologic disorder (or with pharmacotherapy of psychiatric disorders, n = 4) was present in 21-23 patients. Thus, RBD carries well-documented, potential forensic consequences during RBD episodes that could possibly have been misinterpreted as suicidal or homicidal behavior.

Language: en