Sleep problems: An early warning sign of Alzheimers?
Trouble getting enough sleep may be linked to a bigger risk of Alzheimers disease for some people, new research suggests.
The results of the small study hint that people with a higher-than-normal risk of Alzheimers disease who had worse sleep quality, more sleep problems and daytime sleepiness had more markers for Alzheimers disease in their spinal fluid than those who didnt have sleep issues.
The markers found by researchers included signs of the proteins amyloid and tau, and brain cell damage and inflammation, all linked to potential Alzheimers.
Amyloid is a protein that folds and forms plaques. Tau is a protein that forms tangles. Plaques and tangles are found in the brains of those with Alzheimers disease and are considered a hallmark of the disease.
This study and others in the field suggest that sleep may be a modifiable risk factor for Alzheimers disease, said senior researcher Barbara Bendlin. Shes an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. This will require studies that directly test whether modifying sleep has a beneficial effect on the brain, Bendlin said.
So, if youre someone whos always tossing and turning at night, does that mean youre destined to a future with Alzheimers disease?
Not necessarily. Bendlin said these findings cannot prove that poor sleep causes Alzheimers disease. We found an association, she said. But that does not mean cause and effect.
Its possible changes in the brain associated with Alzheimers could affect sleep, as opposed to the other way around, Bendlin added.
People with markers -- signs -- of Alzheimers in their spinal fluid arent necessarily predestined to develop the condition either, she said.
We found relationships between sleep and levels of proteins related to Alzheimers disease, but the proteins that we were measuring havent yet been shown to predict future dementia when measured in cognitively healthy people, Bendlin said.
The study included 101 people and their average age was 63. At the time of testing, all of the study volunteers had normal thinking and memory skills. But they were considered at risk for Alzheimers either because they had a parent with the disease or they carried a gene that increases the risk for Alzheimers called apolipoprotein E, or APOE.
The study volunteers gave a sample of spinal fluid to be tested for markers of Alzheimers disease.
They also answered questions to judge the quality of their sleep. Examples included: During the past four weeks, how often did you get the amount of sleep you needed? Or Did you get enough sleep to feel rested upon waking in the morning? Bendlin said.
Although a strong association between sleep problems and Alzheimers markers was seen in most people, not everyone with sleep difficulty had these markers in their spinal fluid, Bendlin said.
For example, there was no association seen between people who had sleep apnea and markers for Alzheimers in their spinal fluid.
Other factors -- such as the use of drugs to aid sleep, education, depression and weight -- didnt change the association between poor sleep and markers for Alzheimers disease, the researchers found.
One thing that could have thrown the findings off is that the participants reported their own sleep problems. Its possible that people misreported their sleep issues or didnt remember them correctly, the researchers said.
HealthDay
