Study: Frequent nightmares in the elderly are early signs of Parkinson's disease
A recent study published in eClinicalMedicine showed that among a group of older men, individuals with frequent bad dreams were more likely to develop Parkinson's disease later on than those who did not.
This study apparently intersects with previous studies that people with Parkinson's disease have nightmares and bad dreams more frequently than adults, but the use of nightmares as an indicator of Parkinson's risk has not been previously considered.
Lead author of the study, Dr Abidemi Otayko, from the University's Center for Human Brain Health, said: 'Although this can be really helpful in diagnosing Parkinson's disease early, there are very few indicators of risk and many of them require expensive hospital tests. We need more research in this area, determining the significance of bad dreams and nightmares could suggest that individuals who experience changes in their dreams at an older age - without any apparent reason - should seek medical advice."
The team used data from a large cohort study from the US, which contains 12-year data from 3,818 older men living independently.
At the start of the study, the men completed a series of questionnaires, one of which included a question about sleep quality.
Participants who reported bad dreams at least once a week were followed up at the end of the study to see if they were more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
During the follow-up period, 91 cases of Parkinson's disease were diagnosed.
The researchers found that participants who experienced frequent bad dreams were twice as likely to develop the disease compared to those who did not.
Most diagnoses occurred in the first five years of the study.
Participants who had frequent bad dreams during this period were three times more likely to develop Parkinson's disease.
The findings suggest that older adults who will one day be diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are more likely to start experiencing bad nightmares a few years before they develop hallmarks of Parkinson's disease, including tremors, stiffness and slow movement.
The study also shows that our dreams can reveal important information about brain structure and function and may prove to be an important target for neuroscience research.
The researchers plan to use EEG to look at the biological causes of dream changes.
They will also look at replicating the findings in larger and more diverse groups and explore possible links between dreams and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.
* Translated from: "Science Daily"
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