In addition to polysomnography , which records activity levels during REM sleep, diagnosis of RBD is based on sleep history, testimony of sleep partners, and one or several overnight video recordings of REM sleep activity.
Video recordings present patients with an impressive and surprising revelation of their disorder.
Most cases of RBD are not associated with other disorders. It is, however, necessary to rule out myoclonic seizures, which are the product of neurological dysfunction and which may compromise health if not treated. Also, RBD symptoms have been described in cases of degenerative neurological disorder, like brainstem lesions. There is some evidence to suggest that RBD precipitates Parkinson s disease . Parkinson s disease is caused by the continual death of dopamine-producing brain cells.