Mount Sinai Early Parkinson's Detection and Prevention Program
RBD Is One of the Earliest Signs of Parkinson's Disease
For many people, Parkinson's disease begins years before movement symptoms appear. One of the earliest indicators is REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD), a condition in which individuals physically act out vivid dreams during sleep.
This early window into the disease represents one of the greatest missed opportunities in modern neurology. Today, RBD remains widely underrecognized, delaying evaluation, limiting participation in research, and reducing opportunities for earlier intervention. Identifying RBD earlier may help accelerate research, improve early detection, and support interventions before significant neurological damage occurs.
Rigorous science meets patient care
The Opportunity
Early detection changes everything. The years before Parkinson's disease becomes clinically apparent are the years when intervention is most meaningful.
The challenge
But detection requires precision. RBD is underdiagnosed, sleep data is fragmented across systems, and the science of neuroprotection is still evolving. Rushing toward a diagnosis without rigor helps no one.
Our answer
We build detection on evidence, not intuition. Every diagnostic tool, every screening question, every research finding is validated against rigorous standards. We respect the complexity of neurology, recognizing that risk is individual, that uncertainty is part of the science, and that the patients we serve deserve honesty alongside hope.
Advance early detection of Parkinson's and related neurodegenerative disease by identifying individuals with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.
Detect Parkinson's years earlier
Find the signal during the prodromal window, long before motor symptoms appear.
Intervene when it matters most
Act in the years when monitoring, planning, and emerging therapies can do the most good.
Change the trajectory of the disease
Move neurodegenerative care from reactive diagnosis toward proactive protection.
The signal is already there. The opportunity is the years before symptoms appear when early action is still meaningful.
Understanding RBDHow you can help us beat Parkinson's Disease
Join the RBD screening program or support the research behind it.
Participate in Research
Join our home-based screening program combining a brief questionnaire + a wrist wearable and contribute to early RBD detection research.
Open to all adults with or without sleep concerns.
Support Our Work
Your donation directly funds wearable screening, neuroprotection research, and patient education initiatives.
Gifts are tax-deductible through Mount Sinai.
Why this matters
Three reasons the years before symptoms appear are the years that count most.
Wearables + AI create detection at scale
Smartwatches capture movement patterns. AI algorithms identify RBD signatures. Passive monitoring detects sleep behavior without expensive lab studies making early detection accessible to millions.4,5
From reactive diagnosis to proactive intervention
Parkinson's is typically diagnosed too late with neurodegeneration at 50-70% loss. RBD gives us a 5-15 year window before symptoms. Early neuroprotection trials are now showing promise. This is the moment to intervene.
Not everyone with RBD progresses and that matters
Risk varies between individuals. Some develop Parkinson's, some do not. Understanding this uncertainty helps us stratify risk, personalize neuroprotection, and counsel patients honestly. Clinical complexity demands clinical wisdom.
References
- 1. Haba-Rubio J, Frauscher B, Marques-Vidal P, et al. Prevalence and determinants of rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder in the general population. Sleep. 2018;41(2):zsx197. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsx197
- 2. Schenck CH, Boeve BF, Mahowald MW. Delayed emergence of a parkinsonian disorder or dementia in 81% of older men initially diagnosed with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder: a 16-year update on a previously reported series. Sleep Med. 2013;14(8):744-748. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2012.10.009
- 3. Postuma RB, Iranzo A, Hu M, et al. Risk and predictors of dementia and parkinsonism in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder: a multicentre study. Brain. 2019;142(3):744-759. doi:10.1093/brain/awz030
- 4. Zhou L, Brink-Kjaer A, Gunter K, et al. Actigraphy-based detection of isolated REM sleep behavior disorder: multicenter validation across devices and populations. npj Digit Med. 2025;8(1):634. doi:10.1038/s41746-025-01999-z
- 5. Bertram D, Ophey A, Röttgen S, et al. ActiTect: a generalizable machine learning pipeline for REM sleep behavior disorder screening through standardized actigraphy. npj Digit Med. Published online June 13, 2026. doi:10.1038/s41746-026-02738-8