WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - According to a study published in Neurology, older adults who experience daytime drowsiness or feel laziness due to sleep issues might have a higher chance of developing dementia.
'Our findings emphasize the need for screening for sleep issues,' said study author Victoire Leroy from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.
'There's potential that people could get help with their sleep issues and prevent cognitive decline later in life.'
The study monitored 445 people over the age of 65 who did not have dementia, exploring the link between sleep issues and the prevalence of motoric cognitive risk syndrome.
The participants were asked questions related to sleep and memory issues, such as how often they had trouble sleeping and whether they took any sleep medicines. Their walking speed on treadmill was recorded at the start of the study and then once a year for an average of three years.
At the end of the study, the scientists found that the poor sleepers had more chance of developing MCR than good sleepers. Also, participants with excessive daytime drowsiness were more than three times prone to developing the condition then those without any sleep issues.
'More research needs to be done to look at the relationship between sleep issues and cognitive decline and the role played by motoric cognitive risk syndrome,' Leroy said.
'We also need studies to explain the mechanisms that link these sleep disturbances to motoric cognitive risk syndrome and cognitive decline.'
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