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Written By: Editorial Team | Updated : June 29, 2015 11:14 PM IST
A sleep disorder that causes people to act out their dreams is a predictor of brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a new research has found. 'Rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) is not just a precursor but also a critical warning sign of neurodegeneration that can lead to brain disease,' said associate professor and lead author Dr John Peever from the University of Toronto in Canada.
'In fact, as many as 80 to 90 per cent of people with RBD will develop a brain disease,' said Peever. The disturbance occurs during the rapid-eye-movement (REM) stage of sleep and causes people to act out their dreams, often resulting in injury to themselves and/or bed partner, researchers said. In healthy brains, muscles are temporarily paralysed during sleep to prevent this from happening. (Read: Don't take sleep disorder lightly)
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of parkinson's.
'It's important for clinicians to recognise RBD as a potential indication of brain disease in order to diagnose patients at an earlier stage,' said Peever. 'This is important because drugs that reduce neurodegeneration could be used in RBD patients to prevent (or protect) them from developing more severe degenerative disorders,' Peever said. His research examines the idea that neurodegeneration might first affect areas of the brain that control sleep before attacking brain areas that cause more common brain diseases like Alzheimer's. Peever said he hopes the results of his study lead to earlier and more effective treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. (Read: Parkinson's disease linked to REM sleep disorder)
The research was published in the journal Trends in Neuroscience.
What is Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative mental disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behaviour. It is the most common form of dementia and is commonly seen in the elderly. While the chances of developing the disease increase with age, it is now seen that younger people are also now being diagnosedwith the disease.
During the course of Alzheimer's disease, nerve cells in areas of the brain that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and conscious thought die due to plaque deposition. Symptoms include confusion, mood swings, impaired reasoning or judgement, long-term memory loss and a gradual loss of bodily functions.Dementia is the most prominently visible symptom. People with Alzheimer's begin to have problems recognising family and friends. They also find it exceptionally difficult to learn new things, carry out tasks that involve multiple steps (like getting dressed) and cope with new situations. They might suffer from insomnia. In the more severe stages of Alzheimer's disease, the brain completely shrinks and they become increasinglydependent on others.
The diagnosis of Alzheimer's is usually based on collective symptoms and family history. Other tests that can be performed are mental status tests and radiological tests. A recent advancement in the diagnosis of the disease is the use of biomarkers. Current treatments for Alzheimer's are based on treating the symptoms but they do not eliminate the cause. The best way to slow the process and prevent it from progressing is early medical intervention. The earlier the condition is identified, the better the prognosis. Treatments include medications for memory loss and treatments for behavioural and sleep changes. Intervention therapies like reminiscence therapy, simulated presence therapy and validation theory may improve the quality of a patient's life. (Read: Alzeimer's disease it's more common than you think)
What is Parkinson's?
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder and affects nerve cells which are responsible for motor functions of the body. Parkinson's patients have difficulty in carrying out movements at a normal speed. Hence, they take longer to perform even normal day-to-day activities. Apart from slowness in their body, Parkinson's patients' limbs tend to be either stiff or shake uncontrollably. Other non-motor symptoms like pain, sleep disturbances, irregular bowel movements, fainting spells, depression, anxiety, fatigue and memory problems also occur. There is no cure for the disease but medications and surgery can provide some relief. (Read: Parkinson's Disease what you need to know)
With inputs from PTI
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