Are frequent nightmares a sign of Parkinson's disease? Study: Risk of disease may increase by five times
Frequent “nightmares” in middle age, should we pay attention to whether this may be a precursor to “Parkinson’s disease” in old age? Scientists believe that for most people, the content of dreams is mostly bizarre and enjoyable, but rarely frightening or frightening. A recent study published in “eClinicalMedicine” pointed out that about 17-78% of Parkinson’s disease patients had more frequent nightmares in their early years, and more frequent nightmares may speed up the course of the disease.
Are nightmares a sign of Parkinson’s disease? Study reveals 5 times increased risk of disease
The University of Birmingham in the UK analyzed the health data of 3,818 elderly men in the past 12 years. The subjects completed a series of questionnaires and 368 of them had nightmares at least once a week. After the study, the team continued to track the health status of this group for about 7 years. The team found that 91 Parkinson’s disease patients seemed to have nightmares more frequently than healthy people.
After comparing data, the study found that elderly people who often have nightmares may be five times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than healthy people. 17% of patients with Parkinson’s disease have nightmares every week; and the probability of nightmares in subjects with Parkinson’s disease and “dementia” increases to 78%. In comparison, the weekly incidence of nightmares in the average person is estimated to be between 2-5%.
Study author Abidemi I. Otaiku, Ph.D., noted that shortly after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, 81% of patients reported that they frequently had intense, vivid, and frightening dreams that preceded the onset of symptoms by years or even decades. It lasts for a long time, and it is estimated that it may have occurred in the prime of life or middle age. Otaiku also said that patients with Parkinson’s disease who often have nightmares are five times more likely to progress from mild to moderate to severe disease than other patients.
Elders suffering from Parkinson’s disease should pay attention! The risk of co-morbidity of dementia and depression may increase
Otaiku said that in recent years, academic circles have gradually discovered the connection between dreams and the nervous system. There is growing evidence that areas of the brain that regulate emotions when the body is awake continue to function during sleep. Especially during the rapid eye movement (REM) period, the occurrence of nightmares can easily lead to increased activity and blood flow in the limbic areas of the brain, and reduced network connections in the prefrontal lobe, which may lead to a decline in insight and cognitive function.
Otaiku also pointed out that this study on patients with Parkinson’s disease showed that structural changes in the right frontal lobe of the brain are related to an increase in the frequency of nightmares. Frequent nightmares have also been shown to be closely related to cognitive decline, memory loss, severe depression and anxiety, which may lead to mental illness problems in patients and a higher risk of dementia.
“At baseline, patients with Parkinson’s disease who had frequent nightmares did not differ significantly from the general population in terms of mood or cognitive function. However, after 5 years of randomized visits, those who had frequent nightmares found that Patients are almost three times more likely to develop dementia or mild cognitive impairment later in life, and are more likely to be depressed and anxious.”
Frequent nightmares in the years before a Parkinson’s diagnosis may be a sign of a deficit in frontal lobe executive function, Otaiku said. As for whether the research results can be used for clinical diagnosis, or even help in the early detection of Parkinson’s disease? Otaiku believes that more experimental numbers and more detailed data are still needed for reference, but the experimental results do prove that the interaction between dreams and the nervous system is helpful in treating patients with Parkinson’s disease.
source:
Distressing dreams and risk of Parkinson’s disease: A population-based cohort study
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