How Do Sleep Disorders Affect Neurodegenerative Diseases?

Neurodegenerative diseases are diseases in which neurons in the central nervous system cease to function or die slowly, causing a variety of neurological signs and symptoms.

These diseases tend to get worse over time and are incurable.  They may be due to a genetic component, a tumor, or a stroke. These diseases are also most common in people who drink a lot of alcohol or are exposed to certain viruses and toxins.

Sleep disorders can also contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. A study by the University of Toronto revealed that REM sleep disorders can be an early sign of neurological diseases.

Everything from dreams

Since the 1960s, researchers have argued that dreams occur in the REM stage and that the brainstem is the main area of ​​their control. This part of the brain communicates with the hypothalamus to move from wakefulness to sleep and vice versa.

Glutamatergic SubCs (which regulate sleep-to-REM sleep transition and vice versa) initiate a chain reaction. The reaction causes the release of GABA mediators, which at the same time reduces the level of activity in the hypothalamus and brainstem. GABA neurons are actually responsible for controlling REM sleep and especially muscle paralysis during deep sleep.

When these cells begin to activate, REM sleep is rapidly transitioned. The brainstem sends signals so that the muscles relax and the limbs do not move. With this in mind, the researchers analyzed REM sleep disorders such as cataplexy, narcolepsy, and REM sleep behavioral disorders.

REM sleep behavior disorder

People with REM sleep behavior disorder move their limbs or even get out of bed while still asleep. In fact, some patients may even talk or shout.

Doctors believe that this pathology makes the people affected it dangerous to themselves or others around them. Sometimes negative consequences, such as suicide or injury to a co-sleeper, are warning signs to make a diagnosis. The good news is that REM sleep behavioral disorders are usually treatable.

Stages of sleep

Sleep involves different stages: waking up, REM sleep, and other sleep. Each stage is characterized by many characteristics. In order to understand REM sleep behavioral disorder, it is important to know what happens during this stage.

During this stage, the electrical activity of the brain is similar to the brain activity of an awake human. Although brain neurons work in the same way during REM sleep as when awake, REM sleep involves temporary muscle paralysis.

Some sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, parasomnia, or REM sleep behavioral disorders, contain almost no differences between the different stages. Experts believe that the “neurological barriers” that separate the stages of sleep do not work properly, although the cause of this phenomenon is not yet clear.

So most people are not able to move their bodies, not even when they see living dreams. However, people with REM sleep disorders lack muscle paralysis, so they can move violent dreams to their bodies at the same time.

REM sleep disorders affect neurodegenerative diseases

The researchers made a very interesting observation: REM sleep disorders are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases that tend to occur in older people. These findings suggest that neurodegenerative processes initially affect REM sleep rhythms, particularly SubC neurons.

They also found that more than 80% of people with REM sleep behavioral disorders eventually develop a synuclein disease such as Parkinson’s disease or Lewy body disease.

This study argues that sleep disorders affect neurodegenerative diseases. The disorder can be an early sign of neurodegenerative diseases, and the disease itself can appear 15 years later.

It is also worth mentioning that both Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body disease are associated with abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein within the nervous system. Therefore, the researchers hypothesize that study of this protein will further shed light on which neuroprotective therapies would prevent the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Experts argue that, just like cancer-prone patients, a diagnosis of REM sleep disorder can lead to preventative measures that protect the health of the nervous system before other more serious neurological diseases begin to develop.