Frequent nightmares can be the first sign of Parkinson’s disease
Looking at the health of 3,818 older men with typical brain function for 12 years, the researchers found that those who experienced frequent nightmares were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease.
Most of those who often have bad dreams seem to have developed during the first five years of observation.
Dream analysis as part of the examination
The results therefore lead to the theory that older adults could be examined for Parkinson’s disease even if their doctor asks them about the content of their dreams. Early interventions could then be used to delay the onset of physical symptoms such as tremor, stiffness and slowing.
One of the biggest problems with Parkinson’s disease is early diagnosis, the server writes Scientific notice. By the time most people find out they are sick, they already have 60 to 80 percent fewer dopamine-releasing neurons in the brainstem.
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In addition, a previous study by the same researcher, Abidemi Otaik of Birmingham University in the UK, found that patients with severe dreams were five times more likely to have the onset and course of the disease.
“Although more research is needed in this area, identifying the significance of nightmares and nightmares could suggest that older people experience changes in their dreams without seeking medical attention,” the study said. neurologist Otaiku.
Main findings of research
Researchers have been researching the link between sleep and Parkinson’s disease for several years. About a quarter of patients with Parkinson’s disease report frequent disturbing dreams from the time of diagnosis, and some report that they did not appear until ten years before diagnosis.
Previous studies suggest that people with Parkinson’s disease are four times more likely to have frequent nightmares than people in the general population.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease also have the most common sleep disorders with rapid eye movement (REM), a stage in which a person dreams.
However, it is not yet clear whether these symptoms are a by-product of Parkinson’s disease or prodromal, a term used by researchers for minor symptoms that appear before the main symptoms appear on the scene.
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Current research helps to clarify this distinction by observing a large sample of older men for more than a decade.
In the study, participants who reported frequent disturbing dreams were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease within 12 years. In addition, in the first four years of the study, frequent disturbing dreams were associated with a six-fold increased risk of developing another neurological disease.
Without research to measure additional brain activity during sleep, it is difficult to say what is happening at the biological level in Parkinson’s disease patients who have nightmares.
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Men with Parkinson’s disease tend to have more disturbing dreams than women with the same disease. Why this is so remains unclear.
One hypothesis is that late onset nightmares are an early sign of neurodegeneration in some men.
Women are significantly more likely to have regular nightmares at the beginning of their lives, but after the age of 65, men begin to catch up. Perhaps with their age, their frontal cortex changes, which regulates emotions during sleep.
Researchers are now planning to use electroencephalography (EEG) to find out what it could be.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
It is a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system that is directly related to the loss of nerve cells in a part of the brain called Substantia nigra (black substance). These cells normally produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that transmits signals between nerve cells (neurons). Lack of dopamine has the effect that the patient is gradually unable to control or control his movement.
Parkinson’s disease has been known since ancient times. However, it was first described in 1817 by the London physician James Parkinson.
People over the age of 50 are at greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. However, about 15% of patients may develop the disease before the age of forty and, in exceptional cases, even earlier (eg actor Michael J. Fox, founder of the Parkinson’s Disease Research Foundation). However, the future incidence of Parkinson’s disease cannot be predicted. There is as yet no evidence to explain the incidence of this disease. However, scientists are inclined to the theory that the disease may be due to genetic predispositions and environmental influences.
Patients in the Czech Republic are assisted, for example, by the Parkinson-help association, medical centers in teaching hospitals in Prague, Brno and Olomouc or the specialized neuropsychiatric clinic of the Institute of Neuropsychiatric Care (INEP). Approximately 10-15 thousand people in the Czech Republic suffer from this disease.
Manifestations of Parkinson’s disease
Patients can give the impression of almost healthy people on a daily basis and, on the other hand, can only sit stiffly or suffer from involuntary movements. Tremors or feelings of tiredness and stiffness in the limbs and back, cramps, more frequent constipation and sleep problems are common.
accompanied by slowed gait and worsened facial expressions. One of the first warning signs may be a restful shaking of the hands, deterioration of smell and taste. Initially, it can affect only one limb, and only over time does it affect both sides. I often suffer from tremors in the upper and lower limbs with a cross, such as my right hand and left foot at the same time.
Parkinson’s tremor can also affect the tongue, lips and neck. At a later stage of the disease, it often accompanies spontaneous movements and is poorly articulated.
(Source: Wikipedia)