A sleep disorder that affects two per cent of people aged over 65 may be a major indicator that a person could develop brain diseases such as Parkinson’s or dementia.
Called REM sleep behaviour disorder, or RBD for short, it affects around one per cent of the general population, The Mirror reports.
REM is short for rapid eye movement, one of the stages of the sleep cycle. It plays a vital role in dreaming, memory, emotional processing, and the development of a healthy brain.
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A state of low muscle tone throughout the body is entered in this stage, which doesn't mean someone is physically reacting to their dreams. However, those with REM sleep behaviour disorder shout, scream and even kick in reaction to their dreams.
They can sometimes respond violently to dreams where they are being chased.
It could also lead to violence towards oneself or one's partner. Some 60 per cent of patients and 20 per cent of bed partners of people with the disorder have sustained injuries during bed-time.
The disorder typically starts for those in their 40s or 50s, while for younger patients, antidepressants can cause the disorder. Men over 50 are affected more than women of the same age.
It has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
It is seen in 25 to 58 per cent of patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s and 70 to 80 per cent of patients with dementia with Lewy bodies.
In an analysis of 1,280 patients with the disorder, scientists observed participants to see what developed as a consequence.
After 12 years, 73.5 per cent of those with REM sleep behaviour disorder had developed a related neurodegenerative illness.
Irregular motor symptoms, abnormal dopamine levels, loss of sense of smell, cognitive impairment, abnormal colour vision, erectile dysfunction, constipation in older age, were also associated with the sleep behaviour disorder.
RBD may be detectable decades before the symptoms develops full.
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