People who scream and thrash
around in their sleep may be more likely to develop the condition, scientists
claim.
Researchers found that people who
suffer from “REM sleep disturbance”, which includes nightmares, kicking and
screaming, were at a higher risk of developing Parkinson’s and other forms of
demential within the next five years.
REM – or rapid eye movement – is
the stage of sleep when most people begin to dream. But while normal sleepers
are effectively paralysed during this stage because the brain shuts off their
muscles, those with an REM sleep disorder often act out their dreams with
violent movements.
Spanish scientists found that one
in five people over 60 who suffered from the sleep disorder went on to develop
Parkinson’s and other degenerative diseases, such as Lewy body dementia.
The study, published in the Lancet
Neurology journal, suggests that sleep disorders could be one of the first
signs of brain diseases.
The team of researchers, led by Dr
Alex Iranzo at the Neurology Department of the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona,
looked at 43 patients over the age of 60 who had all been diagnosed with REM
sleep disorders.
They found that 30 per cent had
developed some form of neurological disorder two and a half years after their
sleeping problem was diagnosed – in most cases Parkinson’s.
Parkinson’s affects around 120,000
people in Britain, most of whom are over the age of 50.
Those suffering from the disease
have a deficiency of a chemical called dopamine because certain nerve cells in
their brain have died.
Without dopamine, their movements
become slower, they become confused and lose their memory
http://diseasestreatment.info/severe-nightmares-could-be-a-warning-sign-of-parkinsons/
No comments:
Post a Comment