Scientists have revealed that there is one symptom of dementia that can become noticeable years, or even decades, before other symptoms are seen. A study has shared that this early sign could appear in your sleep a long time before any other symptoms.
Dementia is typically associated with memory loss and thinking problems, but research has suggested that one more uncomfortable part of sleep may be an early indicator of the disease. Published in The Lancet journal, scientists believe that having nightmares could be an early warning sign.
Dr Abidemi Otaiku, from the University of Birmingham which led the investigation, said: “We’ve demonstrated for the first time that distressing dreams, or nightmares, can be linked to dementia risk and cognitive decline among healthy adults in the general population, reports the Express.
“This is important because there are very few risk indicators for dementia that can be identified as early as middle age. While more work needs to be done to confirm these links, we believe bad dreams could be a useful way to identify individuals at high risk of developing dementia, and put in place strategies to slow down the onset of disease.”
Three community-based cohorts in the US were examined as part of the study, which included more than 600 men and women aged between the ages 35 and 64, along with 2,600 adults aged 79 and over. All participants were deemed to be dementia-free at the start of the study.
The younger group was followed up for an average of nine years after the initial start, while the older group were followed up for only five years. All the participants completed various questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. This asked participants how often they experienced nightmares.
The results of the research showed that people in the younger group who had weekly bad dreams were four times more likely to experience a cognitive decline over the next decade, while the older people were twice as likely to be diagnosed with dementia.
It was also found that there are stronger links in men between nightmares and developing dementia, than women. Older men with weekly bad dreams were five times more likely develop dementia than those who didn’t. On the other hand, this risk for women was only 41 per cent.
The research concluded that further research needs to be done to find out whether nightmares in young people could be linked to higher dementia risks. Additionally, they would want to find out if any other dream characteristics could be seen as a dementia risk, such as how often we remember our dreams and how vivid they are.
The Alzheimer’s Society reports that the following sleep issues can affect people with dementia:
- Insomnia
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Sleep-disordered breathing
- Restless legs syndrome
- Periodic limb movement disorder
- REM behavioural sleep disorder.
If people with dementia are experiencing these issues, they may need extra support. The charity said: “Over time the person will need more support, especially if your own sleep is often disturbed. If the person you care for is frequently up in the night, it may be possible to have a night sitter.
“This is a carer who will look after the person with dementia at night, to help you to have a good night’s sleep. A person with dementia and severe sleep problems may need to be cared for by a live-in or visiting carer, or in residential care.”