A recent study on neurodegenerative disease risks focused on a somewhat unusual risk factor – sleep positions. The researchers concluded that sleeping on the back, for example, might indeed increase an individual’s risks of developing a neurodegenerative disease.
“We compared the in-home sleep patterns of patients with memory impairment resulting from neurodegenerative diseases to a large group of elderly with normal cognition,” said Daniel J. Levendowski, President of Advanced Brain Monitoring, and the new study’s leading author.
“Sleeping more than 2 hours with one’s head lying face upward was a significant nocturnal marker that characterized those with memory impairment, after controlling for factors such as age, sex, snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and movements during the night,” the researcher added.
The recent research confirmed in humans the observations made during a previous study carried out by scientists at Stony Brook University on lab animals. That study found out that rats that are sleeping with their faces upwards presented less efficient clearance of neurotoxic proteins from the brain, which might lead to a neurodegenerative disease.
Specific Sleep Positions Might Lead To Neurodegenerative Disease
“Our results clearly support their conclusions. We also suggest how the interaction between supine sleep and the natural changes that come with age could impact the clearance of beta-amyloid, tau, alpha-synuclein, and other neurotoxins from the brain during sleep,” also said Dr.Philip Westbrook, Chief Medical Officer at Advanced Brain Monitoring.
“The strength of the association, however, points to a potentially modifiable risk factor for neurodegenerative disease, similar to diet and exercise,” added Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, a co-author of the study.
“This is one of many neurodegenerative disease markers we’ve identified to predict the likelihood of a dementia subtype, quantifying the progression of the disease, and evaluating the efficacy of new treatments,” concluded Chris Berka, the CEO of Advanced Brain Monitoring and the principal investigator of this new study issued in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
