Results

In this study, we wanted to see how damage to certain areas of the brain was related to the development of REM Behavior Disorder.

In order to answer this question, we need to see how the brain injuries (shown on the MRI scans we collected from case studies) affect various brain networks. Networks are basically just groups of brain regions that work together.

We found that the injured areas of the brain had similar patterns of activity/inactivity as compared to the cerebellum, anterior cingulate cortex, and left insula (shown in green in the picture below).

The injured areas had opposite activity/inactivity patterns as compared to the areas in red, including the primary motor and sensory cortices. This seems to mean that, in the individuals studied, the injured part of the brain may have been in charge of "turning off" motor control during REM sleep. Inability to "turn off" motor control may have led the individuals to develop REM Behavior Disorder.