A team of scientists from China, the United States and Spain conducted a study, according to which poor sleep quality or difficulty in achieving paradoxical sleep could be an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the team of scientists, there is a relationship “between sleep quality, memory formation, cognitive thinking and the risk of dementia.”

In the study, they analyzed the relationship between lack of sleep in patients with dementia, “Alzheimer’s and the biomarkers of said disease, even in its preclinical phases” in 128 adults with an average age of almost 71.

The participants remained overnight in a sleep clinic for sleep monitoring. Of the sample, “64 had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and 41 had mild cognitive impairment.” One group reached the REM phase in less than 98.2 minutes, while the rest took more than 192.7 minutes.

According to the scientists, elderly people with functional problems, combined with genetic risk, have a high probability of suffering from Alzheimer’s, due to their lower production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which favors the survival of neurons and helps the brain to learn.

The damage can manifest itself in an increase in “the stress hormone, cortisol. This can damage the brain’s hippocampus, a critical structure for memory consolidation.”

The specialists recommend improving the healthy sleep cycle through healthy lifestyle habits that help “prevent REM sleep delays, favor memory formation and, ultimately, reduce the risk of dementia.”

M.Pino

Source: notitarde

(Reference image source: Robina Weermeijer en Unsplash)

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