Citation

Chiu HF, Wing YK, Lam LC, Li SW, Lum CM, Leung T, Ho CK. Sleep 2000; 23(4): 513-517.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Publisher Associated Professional Sleep Societies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10875558

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Sleep-related injury is a serious but under-recognized condition. We examined the occurrence of sleep-related injuries and REM sleep behavior disorder (RSBD) in a community sample of elderly in Hong Kong. DESIGN: A representative sample of elderly aged 70 years or above were interviewed with a screening question on the presence of sleep-related injuries. Those who answered affirmatively as well as a subsample of negative responders were interviewed by clinicians. Patients with suspected sleep disorders underwent physical and psychiatric assessment as well as sleep studies. SETTING: NA. PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: NA. INTERVENTIONS: NA. RESULTS: In total, 1034 elderly were surveyed and 0.8% reported history of sleep-related injury. Four subjects were confirmed to have RSBD, giving an estimated prevalence of RSBD of 0.38% (95% CI=0.01 to 0.76%). One subject had suspected RSBD but refused investigations while 1 had history suggestive of transient RSBD but could not be confirmed by the sleep studies. The course of RSBD in these subjects was that of a waxing and waning course instead of a progressive deterioration as described in previous literature. Two patients had been hospitalized for sleep-related injury before but their sleep disorder was not recognized. CONCLUSIONS: We found that sleep-related injury and RSBD were not rare in the elderly but were frequently under-recognized. Our study calls for greater attention to elderly who had sustained injury during sleep.

Language: en