Written by: Fiona Sheahan
Edited by: Maggie Wang
When analyzed, a memorable dream might mean more than you think. Exploring the content of a dream can be a helpful indication for diagnosing psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Studies show how dreams hint at a possible diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that impacts the nervous system. Symptoms gradually move to nerve-controlled parts of the body. Parkinson’s symptoms may include tremors (rhythmic shaking), slowed movement, and rigid muscles (see here). According to the DSM-5, Parkinson’s disease is classified as a preceding disorder of either a major or mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD). The cognitive decline that follows the onset of Parkinson’s disease is a central diagnostic aspect of major or mild NCD. Although Parkinson’s cannot be cured, medications such as carbidopa-levodopa can help control symptoms. Carbidopa-levodopa is the most effective Parkinson’s disease medicine that passes into the brain and is converted to dopamine, which allows the transmission of signals that accurately facilitate movement (see here).
While we sleep, we enter a stage where dreams occur known as rapid eye movement (REM). REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by repetitive vocalizations and complex motor behaviors during sleep, such as hand or arm flapping (see here). The two main types of RBD are isolated/idiopathic and secondary/symptomatic. Isolated RBD occurs when the condition spontaneously occurs without an underlying cause. Symptomatic RBD occurs due to an underlying cause such as Type 1 Narcolepsy. Many people with this ailment will develop an alpha-synucleinopathy. When an individual is diagnosed with both an alpha-synucleinopathy and an RBD, they are regarded as having symptomatic RBD (see here).
Founding President of the International RBD Study Group, Dr.Schenck, and his team were the first to report on RBD in 1986. They found that the major cause of RBD is the compromise of REM atonia. REM atonia is not only the lack of muscle mobility while sleeping, but also the attack on alpha-synuclein. Alpha-synuclein is the chronic basis of the alpha-synucleinopathies listed previously. This led Dr. Schenck and his colleagues to conclude that RBD is the earliest and most powerful predictor of future neurodegenerative diseases. They performed 10 case analyses, which had 5 patients with isolated RBD and 5 patients with diverse neurological disorders. Later in 1996, the team studied the same individuals and found that 38 percent had been diagnosed with one of the alpha-synucleinopathies. The team followed up further in 2013 and found that about 82 percent of individuals had one alpha-synucleinopathy (see here). This case study strengthens the link between dreams and Parkinson’s disease.
In 2015, Alan Alda, a famous actor who starred in the series “M.A.S.H.,” was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He was inspired by a health column in the New York Times to get tested for Parkinson’s. The column written by Jane Brody stated that dreams could be an early symptom of Parkinson’s disease, which affects more than 1 million Americans. Prior to diagnosis, Alda said he had a dream of someone attacking him and he threw a sack of potatoes at them. In truth, Alda threw a pillow at his wife while he dreamt. Alda was grateful to be diagnosed early (see here).
Dreams are also linked to mental health. Some people report that the emotions of their dreams caused them to replicate the same emotions during the day. People who react to their nightmares are closely related to the severity of their mental health. Keeping a dream journal to report your latest memory of the dream is a helpful guide to understanding your mental health. If the dream content or frequency becomes a concern, it’s important to talk to a mental health professional. This concern is related to trouble sleeping, unexpected changes in appetite or weight, and difficulty focusing. Talking to a loved one about personal dreams is the first step to understanding complicated feelings that we may be avoiding (see here).
Although Parkinson’s disease cannot be diagnosed solely from dreams, they are helpful for individuals to understand their minds and body. Behaviors in RBD do not always lead to a neurodegenerative diagnosis. More research is needed to understand this link between dreams and Parkinson’s disease. The dreams we have are helpful assistants to understanding our mental health.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
Carlos H. Schenck, MD Highlights Developments in REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. (2021,
June 18). Neurology Learning Network. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from
Free Stock Photo. (n.d.). Pexels. https://www.pexels.com/
Hutchinson, B. (2018, July 31) Alan Alda reveals he has Parkinson’s disease. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/actor-alan-alda-parkinsons/story?id=56934431
Morales-Brown, L. (2021, May 31). What is the Connection between dopamine and Parkinson’s disease? Medical News Today. ://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/dopamine-parkinsons#summary
Okoye, A. (2023, Feb 24). The Relationship Between Dreams and Mental Health. Sleep Doctor. https://sleepdoctor.com/dreams/mental-health-and-dreams/#:~:text=Although%20not%20well%20understood%2C%20there,their%20mood%20the%20following%20day.
Parkinson’s disease. (2023, May 26). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055
Pham, K. Sankari, A. Slowik, J. (2022, Dec 11). Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555928/#:~:text=The%20International%20Classification%20of%20Sleep,or%20based%20on%20clinical%20history.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (RBD). (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved November 28, 2023, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24465-rem-sleep-behavior-disorder-rbd
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