Lewy body dementia is a complex neurodegenerative disease which affects several parts of the brain. It is the most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. “In France, nearly 250,000 people would be affected by this disease, including 67% who are not diagnosed, reports the France Alzheimer association. It usually starts after the age of 50“.
It involves a loss of cognitive abilities. Generally, the sick person experiences difficulties in visual and spatial perception. She may also have difficulty performing several tasks simultaneously, reasoning logically. “Unlike Alzheimer’s disease, memory problems can not appear at the onset of the diseasebut when it progresses”, assures France Alzheimer. Hallucinations, balance disorders, mood disorders or even sleep disorders are also among the symptoms.
A recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic (USA) focused on REM sleep disorder who could be announcer Lewy body dementia. Research has shown that movement problems can manifest 10 years before until the disease is officially diagnosed and strike during sleep.
Do you have restless dreams? This may be indicative of Lewy body dementia.
The researchers mention the “REM sleep behavior disorder”. It refers to a person who has “agitated” dreams, often unpleasant, with sudden movements of the arms and legs during REM sleep, explains the medical center. During the phase of REM sleep, which occurs several times during the night, the body is supposed to remain still.
The scientists concluded that “the best predictor of whether a man will develop dementia with Lewy bodies is whether how he sleeps“.
The report states that “patients are five times more likely“to be affected by the disease if they have this sleep disorder.
REM sleep is about 20% of your sleep time and it is usually during this phase that a person dreams.
REM sleep behavior disorder is not only harmful for the patient, because it is a restorative sleep brakebut in addition it can be dangerous for the partner. Sudden movements are likely to injure him.
Behavioral REM sleep disorder: it can also announce Parkinson’s disease
“It may appear three decades or more before a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia is made in men,” say the researchers.
It could even be the first sign of Lewy body dementia.
Previous research has shown that sleep disturbances increase the likelihood of confusion and behavior problems.
This is not the first time that a scientific study has linked REM sleep behavior disorder to a neurodegenerative disease. A study published in 2016 by the Federation for Brain Research (FRC) showed that more than 80% of affected patients then develop, over time, Parkinson’s disease. This disorder appears to be the most specific pre-symptomatic marker of neurodegeneration.
“This is the first time that we can know, 3 to 15 years before, that a patient will develop Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies. This disorder could result from a neurodegenerative attack of a nucleus of the prominence.