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People who frequently toss and turn in bed or flail their arms and legs while sleeping might be showing early signs of dementia or Parkinson’s disease ‘almost always’, according to specialists.
Studies have consistently indicated that people with REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), characterized by enacting their dreams, exhibit elevated levels of inflammation in a specific region of the brain responsible for this chemical. l dopamine is produced.
Patients with Parkinson’s disease and dementia often experience reduced levels of dopamine since the neurons responsible for producing it have ceased functioning.
Currently, researchers from the United States claim to have created an artificial intelligence-driven algorithm capable of examining video footage from clinical sleep assessments.
They think this might enhance precise diagnoses of the condition and potentially help identify patients who are more susceptible to dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Dr Emmanuel During, who serves as an associate professor of neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, stated: This automated method could be incorporated into clinics when analyzing sleep test results to improve and ease the diagnostic process, thereby preventing overlooked diagnoses.
This approach might also serve to guide therapeutic choices according to the intensity of movements observed during sleep assessments, thereby assisting physicians in tailoring treatment strategies for each patient.
RBD is highly challenging to identify due to its signs often going undetected or being mistaken for those of other conditions.
A conclusive diagnosis necessitates undergoing a sleep study called a video-polysomnogram at a healthcare center equipped with sleep-monitoring technology.
In this research, the scientists utilized 2D cameras to evaluate the clinical sleep assessments of 170 participants—80 of whom had RBD.
The remaining 90 individuals either suffered from another sleep disorder or did not experience any sleep disruptions.
They employed an automated algorithm to monitor pixel movement within the video for tracking sleep motions during REM sleep.
They subsequently utilized it for Extract the rates, ratios, magnitudes, and velocities of movements, as well as the ratio of immobility.
In the journal Annals of Neurology, the researchers reported that the technology achieved an accuracy rate of 92 percent — which is reportedly the highest till now.
Approximately 5 percent of people experience RBD, which involves speaking, chuckling, yelling, and cursing during their sleep.
Many who suffer from these conditions toss and turn in bed and feel groggy the following day, frequently dozing off during daylight hours.
Sometimes their nighttime activities can be so energetic that they end up hurting themselves or each other.
Approximately 153,000 individuals in the UK suffer from Parkinson’s disease, a neurological disorder that leads to pain, tremors, and movement challenges.
Each hour, two additional individuals receive a diagnosis, and this condition incurs substantial costs. NHS over £725 million annually.
In the meantime, recent examination conducted by the Alzheimer's The total yearly expense for dementia care in the UK is estimated at £42 billion by society, with much of this burden being shouldered by families.
As the population ages, these expenses—which encompass the lost income of unpaid caregivers—are projected to skyrocket to £90 billion over the coming 15 years.
It is estimated that approximately 944,000 people in the UK are living with dementia, while the number is believed to be close to 7 million in the United States.
Approximately six out of every ten people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease.
It is believed to be due to the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain. These substances cluster and create plaques and tangles, making it more difficult for the brain to function correctly.
In time, the brain finds it hard to handle this harm, leading to the emergence of dementia symptoms.
Issues with memory, challenges in thinking and reasoning, along with troubles related to language, often appear as initial signs of this condition before progressively worsening.
The number of dementia cases is anticipated to surge dramatically in the upcoming years, highlighting the critical importance of having an affordable diagnostic method to effectively address this issue.
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