Abstract

Study Objectives: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) in the elderly poses risks of injuries and diminished quality of life, potentially indicating early neurodegenerative disorders. Polysomnography (PSG) is the established diagnostic gold standard but limited use due to cost and accessibility. Some questionnaires such as rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder screening questionnaire (RBDSQ) emerged as a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative screening tool. To address cultural nuances and unique features among Taiwanese individuals, a Taiwan-specific version of RBDSQ was developed. This study aimed to assess its suitability applied in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 104 participants aged over 50 underwent PSG. Forty-five participants tested positive for RBD, while 59 tested negative. All completed the Taiwan version of RBDSQ. Internal consistency, evaluated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability, assessed by the intra-class  correlation coefficient (ICC), were used to gauge RBDSQ reliability. Areas under the curves (AUCs) were calculated to determine the best cutoff point for RBDSQ.

Results: According to the results, the Cronbach's alphawas 0.734, and ICCwas 0.761. At the optimal cutoff point of 5, RBDSQ exhibited a sensitivity of 0.667, specificity of 0.678, and estimated AUC of 0.745 (0.651–0.839). In the elderly subgroup (age ≥ 60), the estimated AUC was 0.802 (0.705–0.899), with a sensitivity of 0.657 and specificity of 0.756.

Conclusions: The Taiwan version of RBDSQ proves valuable as a screening tool, particularly among the elderly. Integrating it into a stepwise diagnostic process, alongside interviews and PSG, facilitates early identification of clinical RBD, offering advantages in clinical practice.