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the great unwashed who yell , thrash , punch and kick , and even get out of bed and operate around while they ’re departed may be at an increase jeopardy for developing neurodegenerative disorderliness such as Parkinson ’s disease .

A new study show thatbrain imagingtechniques may be able-bodied to predict which patients with a rest upset , calledrapid - middle - bowel movement sleep behavior disorder ( IRBD ) , go on to develop neurodegenerative disease .

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In most the great unwashed , the muscleman are basically paralyzed during rapid eye movement sleep sleep ( the dream stage of sleep ) , but in the great unwashed with IRBD , muscles move in reply to signaling from the brain , so they ’re active during sleep .

Previous research has demo that IRBD could be an other predictor ofneurodegenerative disorderssuch as Parkinson ’s disease . However , which patient with IRBD will afterward develop disorderliness is not known . Being able-bodied to identify them would help oneself scientist better understand how the disease get along during early stages , and could be an opportunity to treat patients still in those early leg .

research worker hypothesize that abnormalities in the brainpower typical of early Parkinson ’s disease visible with brain imaging might also happen in some affected role with IBRD , and could be used to identify patients who might then be at increased risk of developing a degenerative brain disorderliness in the short term .

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In the discipline , 43 patients with IRBD were devote the brain mental imagery exam at the start , and then they were assessed for neurodegenerative disorders 2.5 age later .

Twenty - seven affected role ( 63 percent ) , had abnormal imaging upshot at the field of study starting . One test showed problem with the transport of dopamine , a chemical substance that helps control muscle crusade , in a part of the brain affected by Parkinson ’s disease .

Of the patients with unnatural results , eight ( 30 percent ) later developed a neurodegenerative disease . Five developed Parkinson ’s disease , two highly-developed dementedness , and one had multiple system atrophy ( a rare disorderliness that affects trend , balance , and other consistence purpose such as bladder control ) . affected role with normal brainpower imagination results at the start of the field of study persist disease free .

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These findings , the generator say , show that learning ability imaging techniques make it possible to identify neurodegenerative diseases at early stages in patients with REM rest ruffle .

The survey was conducted by an outside squad of scientist , led by Alex Iranzo de Riquer from the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona , Spain .

The clause will be published online in the October edition of The Lancet Neurology .

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