The occurrence of frequent nightmares may be an early warning sign of impending Parkinson's disease. This conclusion was made by scientists from the University of Birmingham.
If you often observe scary dreams, then this may be an early harbinger of a future severe neurological disorder – Parkinson's disease. Night terrors have long been associated with this disorder, especially among men, but now researchers are now looking for the first time to answer the question of whether these symptoms are a warning of Parkinson's disease or a consequence of the development of the disease.
Researchers studied the health of 3,818 older men with typical brain function for 12 years. The authors of the study found that those who experienced frequent nightmares were twice as likely to subsequently become victims of Parkinson's disease. Moreover, for the most part, they were diagnosed within the next 5 years after the start of observations. The results suggest that older people should be screened for possible Parkinson's disease by asking about the content of dreams.
If other symptoms of parkinsonism are detected early, then neurologists can try early therapy that will delay the development of extremely unpleasant manifestations of the disease, such as tremors, rigidity, and difficulty walking. Early diagnosis is one of the biggest challenges in Parkinson's disease, in most cases the disease is diagnosed already when the disease is at an advanced stage, and nothing significant can be done. By this point, a person has already lost from 60% to 80% of the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain. (READ MORE) 
University of Birmingham
Medicine
one of the larger and prestigious universities in the UK and around the world. Located in the central part of the city of Birmingham, England