Nightmares can be an early sign of Parkinson’s – because one group is twice as likely to be diagnosed

NIGHTMARES may be the earliest sign of Parkinson’s, research reveals.

Experts found that older men were twice as likely to be diagnosed with the condition after they started experiencing bad dreams.

Lead researcher Dr Abidemi Otaiku, of Birmingham University’s Center for Human Brain Health, said: “While it can be really helpful to diagnose Parkinson’s disease at an early stage, there are very few indicators of risk and many of these require expensive hospital tests or very common.

“Identifying the meaning of bad dreams and nightmares could indicate that individuals experiencing changes in their dreams in old age – for no apparent reason – should seek medical advice.”

The study, published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, followed 3,818 older men for 12 years.

Researchers found that participants who frequently had bad dreams were twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s as those who didn’t.

The nightmares occurred several years before the most common symptoms of the disease, such as tremors.

There are currently no conclusive controls for Parkinson’s, which affects 145,000 Britons and cannot be cured.

The progressive neurological disorder causes brain cells to die, causing a lack of the chemical dopamine, which acts as a messenger to coordinate movement.

The three main symptoms are involuntary shaking of certain parts of the body, slow movements and stiff and inflexible muscles.

dr. Katherine Fletcher, Research Communications Manager at Parkinson’s UK, said: “We know that many people with Parkinson’s experience sleep and nighttime difficulties.

“Previous studies have shown that the dreams of people with Parkinson’s can contain more aggressive content, are generally more vivid and nightmarish than those of people without the condition. There is also some evidence that bad dreams may be associated with later cognitive decline.

“This new study provides further evidence that changes in sleep may be an early sign of Parkinson’s, in this case linking bad dreams to an increased risk of people developing the condition.

“The more is known about the earliest signs of the condition and how the brain can change, the more research will lead to better treatments and cures.”