People who suffer from a certain sleeping disorder may be more likely to be diagnosed with Parkinsons disease and other neurological disorders later on in life, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.
During the trial, researchers analyzed the medical records of 27 patients who had developed a sleep behavior disorder associated with rapid eye movement (REM), a stage of deep sleep. The individuals with this sleeping complication were also found to have high levels of Lewy bodies, which are abnormal aggregates of protein associated with cognitive problems.
The investigators discovered that after being diagnosed with the sleeping problem, these individuals began to develop symptoms of brain-related diseases. The results of the study also showed that of these patients, 13 had been diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, 13 had developed dementia and one individual suffered from multiple system atrophy.
“Our results show that in some patients, conditions such as Parkinsons disease or dementia with Lewy bodies have a very long span of activity within the brain and they also may have a long period of time where other symptoms arent apparent,” said Bradley F. Boeve, lead author of the study.
Approximately 1.5 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with Parkinsons disease each year, according to the Oregon Health and Science University.