Talking or acting out your dreams may be predictor for dementia
Have you ever been told that you talk or act out dreams
in your sleep? It could be dream-enactment behavior (DEB), a symptom of a sleep
disorder called "REM Sleep Behavior Disorder" (RSBD). RSBD is a
condition characterized by yelling, screaming, talking or movement of arms and
legs during sleep in ways that mimic dream imagery.
While most of us mumble in our sleep at times, and toss about in bed, that is
not usually true DEB. True DEB sleepers speak clearly and display pronounced
limb movements that can sometimes lead to injury to themselves or their bed
partner, and occurs in less than 1 percent of the population.
Now researchers at Mayo Clinic have identified DEB as a possible predictor
for future development of a form of dementia called Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB).
DLB combines features of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and may be the
second most common form of dementia (following Alzheimer's disease). Patients
with DLB usually have RSBD, along with other defining symptoms: visual
hallucinations, parkinsonism (characterized by loss of motor function) and
memory loss.
A Mayo Clinic study was conducted in collaboration with Banner-Good Samaritan
Medical Center that included 17 healthy adults, ages 47 to 68, who reported at
least one parent or sibling with dementia. Participants and their sleep partners
completed a questionnaire developed by the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Clinic.
Those with a history of DEB in the preceding 10 years were compared to a matched
group who did not.
Preliminary evidence from the research found mildly altered brain activity in
the group reporting DEB. This alteration resembled that known to occur in
patients with DLB, and therefore suggests that DEB may be identifying a
population at risk for dementia. Although there is still no known effective
prevention for dementia, research into treatment possibilities continues around
the world.
Researchers hope that one day, early intervention with treatment may delay
the onset and progression of those at-risk for dementia.
"In many respects, the DEB brain-related changes have profound
implications for early detection, tracking and possible prevention of
dementia", said Richard J. Caselli, M.D., lead researcher of the DEB study
and Chair of Neurology, Mayo Clinic in Arizona. - Mayo Clinic
More information:
 Mayo
Clinic
The study was published in the July 2006 issue of SLEEP.
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