Neurodegenerative diseases include a number of diseases in which neurons in the central nervous system stop working or die gradually, so different neurological signs and symptoms appear, in this article we will talk about their relationship to sleep disorders.
These types of diseases are often aggravated over time, in addition to having no cure, they can have a genetic origin or can be caused by a tumor or stroke, in addition their incidence is higher in people who drink large amounts of alcohol or who are exposed to certain viruses or toxins.
- Sleep disorders can also influence neurodegenerative diseases.
- A study by researchers at the University of Toronto in Canada has reported that REM sleep disorders can be an early warning sign of a neurological disease.
- Let’s go further.
Since the 1960s, scientists have claimed that dreams occur during REM and that the brain stem is a key region in its control. It is located at the base of the brain and communicates with the hypothalamus to make the transition from wakefulness to sleep and vice versa.
Thus, a chain reaction begins with subC glutamatergic neurons (which regulate the transition from REM sleep to non-REM sleep), which are named after the area of the brain in which they are located: the subcoeruleus or SubC. The reaction produces the release of the neurotransmitter GABA, which in turn reduces the level of arousal in the hypothalamus and brainstem.
This neurotransmitter is produced by GABAergic neurons, responsible for controlling rem sleep timing, its effects and, above all, muscle paralysis that occurs during deep sleep.
When these cells are activated, a rapid transition to REM sleep is triggered. The brainstem sends signals to relax the muscles and not move the limbs.
With this in mind, the researchers set out to examine rem sleep disorders in detail, including cataplexy, narcolepsy and REM sleep behavior disorders.
People with REM sleep disorders move their limbs or even get up and perform wakefulness activities while dreaming, in addition, some people also talk or scream.
Thus, this disorder is considered a pathology when endangering the sleeping person or those around him, sometimes the negative consequences of the problem (such as self-harm or harm to the partner during sleep) alert the diagnosis.
The good news is that REM sleep disorder can usually be treated successfully.
What’s the name of a dream? This involves transitions between three different states: sleep, REM sleep, and NREM sleep. There are a variety of characteristics that define each state, but to understand REM sleep behavior disorder, it is important to know what happens during it. .
During this state, the electrical activity of the brain is similar to the electrical activity observed during awakening. Although neurons during REM sleep work very similarly during the wakefulness period, REM sleep is characterized by temporary muscle paralysis.
In some sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, parasomnia, or REM sleep behavior disorders, the distinctions between these different states are blurred. Barriers? It is believed that the neurological factors that separate these states do not work properly, although the cause of these phenomena is not yet fully understood.
As a result, most people, even when they have vivid dreams, cannot move the body; However, people with REM sleep disorders do not have this muscle paralysis, which makes them live dramatic or violent dreams during the REM sleep phase.
By examining the brain circuit defects that cause these sleep disorders, the researchers made an interesting discovery: REM sleep disorders are related to several neurodegenerative diseases that tend to occur in the elderly.
Researchers explain that these results suggest that neurodegenerative processes initially affect the circuits that control REM sleep and, more specifically, SubC neurons.
In addition, they noted that more than 80% of people with REM sleep disorders eventually develop synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
This research suggests that sleep disorders may be an early warning sign of neurodegenerative diseases that could occur about 15 years later.
It should be noted that Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia are characterized by an intraneuronal accumulation of a protein called alpha-synuclein, so researchers hope that the study of this protein will pave the way for neuroprotective therapies that prevent the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Diseases.
For example, researchers say that, as seen in cancer-prone people, diagnosing REM disorders can provide access to preventive actions to maintain neural health, long before more severe neurological conditions develop.