Kicking in sleep a warning sign of Parkinson's

An international team of neurologists at the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute warns that Parkinson's Disease (PD) can potentially claim its presence while people are in deep slumber. The first signs, in many cases, can be seen in bed.

Nearly 80,000 Australians come under the onslaught of Parkinson's each year. However, the contributors of the condition still remain hidden to human cognition.

With most people not alive to various manifestations of Parkinson's disease, symptoms providing cues to an early onset of the disease are often missed out, says Dr. Simon Lewis, a neurologist and study lead.

"For some Parkinson patients it comes as a revelation and relief, not to mention their spouses, that the condition may be responsible for things that go 'bump' or 'kick' in the night," a statement by Lewis read.

Rapid Eye Movement disorder
According to the researchers, sleep disorders characterised by patterns like acting out dreams through screaming, punching, kicking, and lashing potentially signal Parkinson's Disease.

The most common physical symptoms of Parkinson's comprise slowed movements and tremors in arms or legs. However, apparently unrelated indications may include mood swings, loss of olfactory sense, constipation, and disturbed sleep behaviour.

"Possibly the most dramatic of its symptoms, however is known as Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behaviour Disorder. Parkinson patients have been known to start acting out in their dreams, often punching or kicking the person sharing their bed," says Lewis.

A link between individuals with Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior disorder and brain conditions could be established by researchers of previous studies. REM patients, more often than not, dream with sleeps paralyzed owing to muscles being switched off by the brain.

Parkinson's patients more likely to develop dementia
Besides being victims of thinking and memory difficulties, people suffering from PD are at a significantly higher risk, nearly six times, of being diagnosed with dementia.

With a view to educating people freshly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, the Research Institute has introduced the First Steps programme and is trying out ways to train the memory.

"We believe the disease spreads slowly through the brain and these non-physical symptoms can often predate the disease by many years, potentially offering an early way of recognising the condition," observes Dr Lewis.