Parkinsons disease
Rimantadine, like its antiviral cousin amantadine, possesses some NMDA antagonistic properties and is used as an antiparkinsonic drug (i.e., in the treatment of Parkinsons disease). However, in general, neither rimantadine nor amantadine is a preferred agent for this therapy and would be reserved for cases of the disease that are less responsive to front-line treatments. Other
Rimantadine is shown to be effective against other RNA-containing viruses. It can treat arboviruses like Saint Louis encephalitis and Sindbis. Other viruses that can be treated with Rimantadine include respiratory synctial and parainfluenza viruses. Rimantadine has also been shown to treat chronic hepatitis C.

Drug interactions
Taking paracetamol (acetaminophen, Tylenol) or acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) while taking rimantadine is known to reduce the bodys uptake of rimantadine by approximately 12%. Cimetidine also affects the bodys uptake of rimantadine. Taking anticholigenic drugs with amantadine may increase underlying seizure disorders and aggravate congestive heart failure. Side effects
Rimantadine can produce gastrointestinal and central nervous system adverse effects. Approximately 6% of patients (compared to 4% of patients taking a placebo) reported side-effects at a dosage of 200 mg/d. Common side effects include:

nausea
upset stomach
nervousness
tiredness
lightheadedness
trouble sleeping (insomnia)
difficulty concentrating
confusion
anxiety
Rimantadine shows fewer CNS symptoms than its sister drug Amantadine. Synthesis
1-carboxyadamatanones are reduced with sodium borohydride to create racemic hydroxy acid.
It is more common in males overall, but equally frequent among men and women below the age of 50. This may partially be due to a referral bias, as violent activity carried out by men is more likely to result in harm and injury and is more likely to be reported than injury to male bed partners by women, or it may reflect a true difference in prevalence as a result of genetic or androgenic factors. Typical onset is in the 50s or 60s.Almost half of those with Parkinsons, at least 88% of those with multiple system atrophy, and about 80% of people with Lewy body dementia have RBD. RBD is a very strong predictor of progression to a synucleinopathy (for example, the Lewy body dementias). On autopsy, up to 98% of individuals with polysomnography-confirmed RBD are found to have a synucleinopathy. History
In the 1960s and 1970s, Michel Jouvet described brain lesions in cats that led to loss of atonia in REM sleep. Carlos Schenck and Mark Mahowald and their team in Minnesota first described RBD in 1986. In animals
RBD has also been diagnosed in animals; specifically dogs. See also
Sleepwalk with Me
Pseudobulbar affect
Gelastic seizure

References
Further reading
Roguski A, Rayment D, Whone AL, Jones MW, Rolinski M (2020). "A Neurologists Guide to REM Sleep Behavior Disorder". Front Neurol (Review). 11: 610. doi:10.3389/fneur.2020.00610. PMC 7360679. PMID 32733361.