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Can You Dream Away Dementia?

Older people who spent less time in dream sleep were more likely to be diagnosed later with dementia.

Any link between a dream and dementia sounds far-fetched, to be sure. Nonetheless, one possible interpretation of findings from a recent study is that people who dream more are less prone to dementia.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream:

Researchers conducted in-depth all-night sleep studies on 321 older individuals. These people, who were all at least 60 years old, did not have cognitive problems when the study began. After 12 years, however, 10 percent of them were diagnosed with dementia. (24 of the 32 cases were believed to have Alzheimer’s disease.)

Those who developed dementia had spent less of their sleep time during the study night in REM sleep. Such rapid-eye-movement sleep is an indicator of dreaming. People who slept longer before they started to dream also were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

It is not clear, however, whether increasing time spent in REM can help conserve cognitive function. Rather, the authors believe that limited REM sleep might help predict future cognitive problems.

Pace et al, Neurology, Aug. 31, 2017 

Can You Prevent or Reverse Alzheimer’s?

We recently had the opportunity to interview Dr. Dale Bredesen about his multi-faceted program to preserve brain function as we age. Dr. Bredesen is Professor of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles and founding President and CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. You can listen to our interview and read Dr. Bredesen’s comprehensive new book, The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline. Here is a link to our CD/book combination offer.

Show 1092: How Can You Overcome Alzheimer Disease?

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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