Credible research
In an interview regarding these findings, Maria C. Carrillo, PhD, chief science officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, said: “This is credible research consistent with the idea that sleep disturbances may be a risk factor or warning sign of cognitive decline.”
She added that “what’s novel here” is the researchers examined distressing dreams – not more physical sleep disturbances and disorders such as insomnia or apnea.
“However, nightmares can disturb sleep in the same way these disorders do by waking people up in the middle of the night,” said Dr. Carrillo, who was not involved with the study.
“Previous research has pointed to nightmares being indicative of potential changes in the brain that can precede other dementias like Parkinson’s disease. More research is needed to tease out what exactly is happening in the brain during nightmares that may be contributing to this increased risk,” she said.
Dr. Carrillo noted that “getting good sleep” is important for overall health, which includes brain health.
“The good news is there are treatments – both drug and nondrug – that can help address sleep disturbances,” she added.
This study received no external funding. Dr. Otaiku and Dr. Carrillo have reported no relevant financial relationships.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.