'Nightmare' seen by middle-aged and elderly may be a sign of dementia
No one wants to be haunted by nightmares in their sleep or wake up in a nasty sweat. A study published by researchers at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom found that people who frequently have nightmares in middle age are at increased risk of developing dementia.
Distressing dreams, cognitive decline, and risk of dementia: A prospective study of three population-based cohorts - eClinicalMedicine
Bad dreams in middle age could be sign of dementia risk, study suggests | Dementia | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/sep/21/bad-dreams-in-middle-age-could-be-sign-of-dementia-risk-study-suggests
There may be no people who do not see nightmares at all, but about 5% of adults see ``nightmares that jump up'' at least once a week. Stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep can be cited as causes of having nightmares, but previous research on Parkinson's disease patients has shown that having nightmares is associated with the speed of future cognitive decline and the risk of developing dementia. suggested to be related.
Therefore, Dr. Abidemi I. Otaiku of the University of Birmingham conducted an analysis using data from three studies that tracked people's sleep quality and cognitive function to investigate whether the same association holds true for healthy adults. The data included 600 middle-aged adults aged 35 to 64 and 2,600 older adults aged 79 and over. I checked whether it was done.
The analysis found that middle-aged people who had at least one nightmare a week were four times more likely to experience cognitive decline over the next 10 years than those who rarely had nightmares. turned out. Furthermore, among people aged 79 and over, those who had frequent nightmares were twice as likely to develop dementia in the following years.
As for the reasons why frequent nightmares are associated with cognitive decline and the risk of developing dementia, ``poor quality sleep gradually accumulates proteins that cause dementia'' and ``nightmares and The same genetic factors exist for cognitive decline.”
However, Otaiku proposes the hypothesis that neurodegeneration in the right frontal lobe of the brain makes it difficult to control emotions when dreaming and causes nightmares. 'We know that neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's often begin years before they are diagnosed,' Otaiku said. It could be one,' he said.
Of course, not everyone who has nightmares will develop dementia, but if there is a link between nightmares and dementia, it could help identify high-risk individuals. “The best way to deal with dementia is to prevent it. We know there are several modifiable risk factors for dementia, including poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. If we can identify high-risk individuals years or even decades in advance, we may be able to delay or even prevent the onset of the disease,' Otaiku argued.
Curiously, the association between nightmares and dementia risk was also found to be stronger in men than in women. Older men who had weekly nightmares were five times more likely to develop dementia than older men who did not have nightmares, but women had only a 41% increased risk. Previous studies have shown that ``women have more nightmares than men,'' and this gender difference may be related.
Nightmares are more common in women than men - GIGAZINE
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