Sleep Disorders and Circadian Rhythms I Sleep and Circadian Disorders: From Mechanisms to Clinical Care*
Date: October 20, 2026
Time: 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
Room: Coral 1
Track: Traditional Special Interest Group (SIG)
Session Description
This session will highlight recent advances in sleep and circadian science, spanning foundational mechanisms to clinical applications. Faculty will review the impact of sleep and circadian dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders, including associated clinical features and implications for patient care. The session will also address current and emerging approaches to diagnosis and management, with a focus on both established and novel screening tools and therapeutic strategies. In addition, speakers will examine advances in the identification and evaluation of REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, an important condition with implications for neurodegenerative disease risk.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Describe sleep and circadian disorders associated with neurodevelopmental conditions.
- Discuss current and emerging treatment approaches for sleep and circadian dysfunction.
- Identify existing and novel screening and diagnostic methods for REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.
Speakers
- (Chair) Aleksander Videnovic, MD, MSc, FANA
- (Co-Chair) Gordon Buchanan, MD, PhD, FAES, FANA
- (Speaker) Emmanuel During, MD
- (Speaker) Althea Shelton, MD, MPH
- (Speaker) Yo-El Ju, MD, MSCI
- (Speaker) Nicole Ash, MAS (2026 SIG Oral Presenter)
- (Speaker) Diana Issa, MD (2026 SIG Oral Presenter)
Population-based screening and Diagnosis of REM Sleep Behavior Disorders - Challenges and Opportunities
Description
Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is increasingly recognized as one of the earliest clinical manifestations of synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Identifying RBD in the prodromal stage presents an important opportunity for earlier diagnosis, risk stratification, and enrollment in disease-modifying clinical trials.
This presentation will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with population-based screening for REM sleep behavior disorder. Participants will review current approaches to identifying RBD in community populations, examine the role of digital screening tools and emerging technologies in improving case detection, and discuss the practical considerations of implementing large-scale screening programs. Topics will also include how earlier recognition of RBD may facilitate the diagnosis of prodromal synucleinopathies and support the development of preventive and disease-modifying therapeutic strategies.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the evolving landscape of population-based RBD screening and practical insights into the use of digital tools and innovative screening approaches to improve early detection of synucleinopathies.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Circadian Dysregulation
Description
Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and can significantly affect cognition, behavior, learning, and overall quality of life. Emerging research suggests that the genetic mechanisms underlying many NDDs may directly influence circadian rhythms and sleep regulation, providing new insights into the biological basis of these disorders.
This presentation will explore the relationship between neurodevelopmental disorders and circadian dysregulation, highlighting how genetic factors associated with NDDs can contribute to sleep disturbances. Participants will review the current understanding of the molecular and neurobiological mechanisms linking genetics, circadian function, and sleep, examine the clinical consequences of disrupted sleep in individuals with NDDs, and discuss evidence-based approaches to assessment and management. Topics will also include how improving sleep may enhance neurological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the interplay between neurodevelopmental disorders, genetics, and circadian biology, along with practical insights into recognizing and managing sleep disturbances as an integral component of comprehensive care for individuals with NDDs.
Mapping the RBD Continuum: Biomarkers, Phenotypes, and Prognosis from the NAPS Consortium
Description
REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is one of the strongest clinical predictors of future synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, providing a unique opportunity to study the earliest stages of neurodegeneration. Advances in biomarker discovery and longitudinal research are transforming our ability to identify individuals at highest risk for disease progression and to develop interventions before the onset of overt neurodegenerative disease.
This presentation will highlight recent discoveries from the North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy (NAPS) Consortium, a multicenter collaborative initiative dedicated to characterizing the biological and clinical continuum of RBD. Participants will review emerging fluid, imaging, and physiological biomarkers, examine the phenotypic heterogeneity of RBD, and explore factors that influence prognosis and progression to clinically manifest synucleinopathies. Topics will also include how multicenter collaboration is accelerating biomarker discovery, improving risk stratification, and establishing the foundation for future disease-modifying clinical trials targeting the prodromal stages of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the evolving landscape of RBD research and practical insights into how biomarkers and clinical phenotyping can support earlier diagnosis, improve prognostic assessment, and advance the development of disease-modifying therapies for synucleinopathies.
Circadian and Non-Circadian Sleep Disorders as Predictors of Neurodegenerative Diagnosis: Evidence From Three Retrospective Cohorts
Description
Circadian rhythm disruption has emerged as a potential contributor to cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease, yet its relationship with the risk and timing of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment remains incompletely understood. Examining these associations may help clarify the role of sleep and circadian health in identifying individuals at increased risk for neurodegenerative outcomes.
This presentation will examine associations between circadian rhythm disorders and subsequent neurodegenerative diagnoses using multi-center electronic health record data. Attendees will be introduced to findings from three retrospective cohorts comparing patients with circadian rhythm disorders to individuals without sleep disorders and to those with non-circadian sleep disorders. The presentation will explore differences in the risk and timing of Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment, with particular attention to findings suggesting an association between circadian rhythm disorders and mild cognitive impairment.
Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of the relationship between circadian rhythm disorders and neurodegenerative outcomes, the potential importance of circadian health as a modifiable factor in neurological aging, and the opportunities and limitations of using real-world clinical data to investigate these associations.
Clinical Predictors of Phenoconversion in Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
Description
Isolated rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is a prodromal α-synucleinopathy strongly associated with Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and multiple system atrophy. Phenoconversion determinants remain unclear, and conversion rates vary across iRBD cohorts.
This presentation will examine findings from a retrospective cohort study of 162 participants in the Mayo Clinic RBD Registry with at least 1 year of follow-up. It will review phenoconversion to Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, mild cognitive impairment, multiple system atrophy, and other diagnoses; cumulative conversion rates over 15 years; and associations of age, sex, and antidepressant use with phenoconversion. Approximately 34% had phenoconverted by 12 years. Older age at polysomnography was the only independent predictor of phenoconversion.
Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of the longitudinal course of iRBD and clinical factors associated with phenoconversion. These findings highlight heterogeneity in conversion risk across cohorts and may inform patient counseling and future neuroprotective trial design.
