Back to Search Start Over

Clinical trials in REM sleep behavioural disorder: challenges and opportunities.

Authors :
Videnovic A
Ju YS
Arnulf I
Cochen-De Cock V
Högl B
Kunz D
Provini F
Ratti PL
Schiess MC
Schenck CH
Trenkwalder C
Source :
Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry [J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry] 2020 Jul; Vol. 91 (7), pp. 740-749. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 May 13.
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

The rapid eye movement sleep behavioural disorder (RBD) population is an ideal study population for testing disease-modifying treatments for synucleinopathies, since RBD represents an early prodromal stage of synucleinopathy when neuropathology may be more responsive to treatment. While clonazepam and melatonin are most commonly used as symptomatic treatments for RBD, clinical trials of symptomatic treatments are also needed to identify evidence-based treatments. A comprehensive framework for both disease-modifying and symptomatic treatment trials in RBD is described, including potential treatments in the pipeline, cost-effective participant recruitment and selection, study design, outcomes and dissemination of results. For disease-modifying treatment clinical trials, the recommended primary outcome is phenoconversion to an overt synucleinopathy, and stratification features should be used to select a study population at high risk of phenoconversion, to enable more rapid clinical trials. For symptomatic treatment clinical trials, objective polysomnogram-based measurement of RBD-related movements and vocalisations should be the primary outcome measure, rather than subjective scales or diaries. Mobile technology to enable objective measurement of RBD episodes in the ambulatory setting, and advances in imaging, biofluid, tissue, and neurophysiological biomarkers of synucleinopathies, will enable more efficient clinical trials but are still in development. Increasing awareness of RBD among the general public and medical community coupled with timely diagnosis of these diseases will facilitate progress in the development of therapeutics for RBD and associated neurodegenerative disorders.<br />Competing Interests: Competing interests: AV reports personnel fees from Acorda, Acadia, Pfizer, Theranexus, Jazz and Wilson Therapeutics. IA reports personal fees from Roche Pharma and UCB Pharma. BH reports personal fees from Jazz, Ono, Axovant, Benevolent Bio, Mundipharma, Roche, Takeda, AoP Orphan, Jazz, Abbvie, AoP, Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Otsuka, Janssen Cilag, Inspire and Habel Medizintechnik. FP reports personal fees from Vanda Pharmaceutical, Sanofi, Zambon, Fidia, Bial, Eisai Japan and Italfarmaco. CHS reports personal fees from Axovant. CT reports personal fees from Britannia, Roche, UCB, Gruenenthal and Otsuka.<br /> (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1468-330X
Volume :
91
Issue :
7
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
32404379
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2020-322875