This Sign Of Parkinson's Can Present Years Before A Diagnosis, Study Finds

Strides are being made to develop more ways to detect Parkinson's disease—a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to move and speak. One example of this progress includes looking at people with a sleep disorder that may be an earlier indicator1 of the disease. 

How a sleep disorder could help detect Parkinson's

A study 2published in the journal npj Parkinson's Disease found a potential new way to detect the disease. It would help doctors diagnose patients with the disorder earlier, which could help potential therapies be more effective1. 

Parkinson's disease is a "brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination," according to the National Institute on Aging. Symptoms worsen over time, and people may eventually have trouble walking or talking. People with the disorder may also notice "mental and behavioral changes, sleep problems, depression, memory issues, and fatigue."

To understand the study, you need to know about a key characteristic of Parkinson's disease. It's part of a group of disorders that are characterized by the presence of unusual clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein in cells. 

A research team led by Erdem Gültekin Tamgüney, Ph.D., from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in Germany, found that people with REM sleep behavior disorder have a higher amount of the alpha-synucein aggregates1 characteristic of Parkinson's disease in their stool. The researchers also presented a method for detecting the protein's presence, which could help doctors diagnose Parkinson's disease earlier.

Tamgüney hopes that his team's findings could prompt the development of a noninvasive tool to detect Parkinson's and other related disorders and help people receive therapies before symptoms occur. Nevertheless, more research would be needed.

How to improve REM & overall sleep quality

People with REM sleep behavior disorder have potentially disturbing experiences characterized by vivid dreams and movements while sleeping. In REM sleep, our muscles are typically paralyzed temporarily to prevent us from physically acting out our dreams. 

Fortunately, there are ways to improve our sleep quality and duration:

The takeaway

Parkinson's disease can severely affect the quality of life of people living with it. Diagnosing the disease early, before symptoms are even present, can help people with Parkinson's disease receive therapies sooner and, hopefully, slow its progression.

Researchers are studying new ways to detect the disease, including by studying people with REM sleep behavior disorder, who may show symptoms of Parkinson's disease later in life.