Outcries, laughter, or abrupt movements during sleep might serve as an early indicator of approaching cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions. Researchers at the Bundang Seoul National University Hospital arrived at this conclusion, as reported by The Korea Herald.
The scientists directed their focus toward individuals diagnosed with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD). In this condition, a person shouts, laughs, flails their arms, or even exhibits aggressive behavior while in the REM stage of sleep. These patients have no established neurological illnesses like Parkinson’s disease or dementia.
The study involved 162 subjects, with an average age of 65.6 years at the time iRBD was identified. Experts analyzed the outcomes of 318 neuropsychological assessments completed by the participants and documented a consistent decrease in attention, working memory, and general memory. These changes accumulated over time.
The most significant deterioration was observed in the digit symbol substitution test, which is a sensitive measure for information processing speed, concentration, and the capacity of working memory. A clear decline in both verbal and visual memory was also noted.
Cognitive issues were more pronounced and affected several functions simultaneously in male participants, whereas these issues appeared somewhat more constrained in women.
The authors conclude that this new evidence suggests atypical sleep behavior could function as an early warning sign for underlying neurodegenerative processes. This establishes iRBD as a significant predictor of diminishing cognitive health, long before the traditional signs of dementia become evident.
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