Memory problems, difficulties with thinking and reasoning and language problems are early and well-known symptoms that can suggest cognitive decline, or even the onset of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. But a “physical” event would also be significant of this appearance. And it intervenes when you sleep!
A sign that reveals itself in your sleep
So, people who move in bed and are particularly restless during sleep could be showing an early sign of dementia or Parkinson’s disease. “in almost all cases”, experts say today. In any case, this is the conclusion of a study carried out and published in Annals of Neurology this January 9.
In the study, researchers used 2D cameras to evaluate clinical sleep tests in 170 patients, including 80 with REM sleep behavior disorder (REBD), a form of restless sleep. The remaining 90 had either another sleep disorder or no sleep disturbance at all. An automated algorithm made it possible to track sleep movements during REM sleep. The researchers then used it to extract the rate, ratio, magnitude and velocity of movements, as well as the stillness ratio. The researchers thus identified 92% of people suffering from restless sleep.
Research has long suggested that people suffering from REM sleep behavior disorder (REM sleep behavior disorder) – which sees individuals “act out” their dreams – have increased inflammation in an area of the brain where the chemical dopamine is produced. And would be at risk of developing dementia. But this TCSP was until now difficult to detect from another disorder.
Pronounced nighttime restlessness
REM sleep behavior disorder is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms can go unnoticed or be confused with other illnesses. However, it affects around 5% of sleepers and manifests itself through conversations, laughter, screams and swearing during sleep. Most people with these disorders struggle in bed and have foggy eyes the next day, often falling asleep during the day. In some cases, their nighttime movements are so vigorous that they injure themselves or their partner.
A symptom that simplifies the diagnosis
For the researchers, the use of their algorithm could improve the accuracy of diagnosing the disease and even prove useful in identifying patients at higher risk of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Dr. Emmanuel During, associate professor of neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, and author sees this in any case as progress:
“This automated approach could be integrated into clinics when interpreting sleep tests to improve and facilitate diagnosis and avoid missed diagnoses. It could also be used to inform treatment decisions based on the severity of movements displayed during sleep tests and ultimately help doctors personalize care plans for each patient.”
Given that the number of dementia diagnoses is only increasing, a fairly “simple” screening tool will ultimately help address this challenge.