An alarm signal for increased risk of dementia?

A woman sleeps on the sofa during the day: According to a study, excessive tiredness during the day can indicate a risk of dementia (symbolic image). © IMAGO/Nina Janeckova / Westend61

A study from the USA shows that excessive sleepiness during the day could mean more than just exhaustion. It could be an indication of an increased risk of dementia.

Bronx – If you are often tired during the day, you can often attribute this to stressful everyday life. But there could be more to it, as a study from the USA shows. Tiredness during the day and a lack of enthusiasm are possible signs of an increased risk of dementia. The researchers focused on motor-cognitive risk syndrome, or MCR for short.

MCR syndrome as a warning signal: This is how the risk of dementia can be recognized early

MCR syndrome is a warning sign on the path to dementia. Although people with MCR do not yet have dementia, they are at increased risk of developing this neurological disease. Symptoms of MCR syndrome may include reduced walking speed, mild memory problems, or attention problems. To a degree that goes beyond normal aging.

The study by the research team led by Victoire Leroy from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx in the USA identifies two additional symptoms that are among the core symptoms of MCR: excessive daytime sleepiness and lack of enthusiasm. The researchers examined study participants’ sleep in detail using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Anyone who is tired during the day is three times more likely to develop MCR.

About the study

The study “Association of Sleep Disturbances With Prevalent and Incident Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome in Community-Residing Older Adults” appeared in the journal on November 6, 2024 Neurology.

The research team Victoire Leroy, Emmeline Ayers, Dristi Adhikari and Joe Verghese from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx examined 445 participants who were on average 76 years old and did not suffer from dementia at the start of the study.

Data collection in the form of surveys on sleep and memory problems as well as a walking speed test took place annually from 2011 to 2018. The follow-up period was on average three years.

Early help, better treatment: “Prevent cognitive decline”

35.5 percent of the study participants who suffered from daytime sleepiness or lack of enthusiasm developed motor-cognitive risk syndrome three years later. In comparison, only 6.7 percent of people without these two symptoms later suffered from the syndrome. As a result, those who suffer from MCR have a risk of developing dementia that is more than twice as high. “Determining the relationship between sleep disturbances and MCR risk is important because early intervention may be the best hope for preventing dementia,” the study authors said.

Dementia rates are increasing dramatically: early diagnosis can slow the progression of the disease

In Germany, around 1.8 million people suffer from dementia and this number is expected to increase to 2.4 to 2.8 million people over 65 by 2050. That’s going out Data the German Alzheimer Society. The earlier dementia is detected, the easier it is to slow down the progression of the disease, for example through drug treatment.

The US research team’s study makes an important contribution to the fight against the disease. However, there are also limitations to the study: the assessment of sleep quality is based on the participants’ self-assessment and not on objective measurement methods such as polysomnography in a sleep laboratory. This can lead to subjective misjudgments, especially for people with memory problems.

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Discursive language that allows for in-depth analysis and reflection.