r/science • u/Wagamaga • Feb 03 '25

Neuroscience Scientists discover that even mild COVID-19 can alter brain proteins linked to Alzheimer’s disease, potentially increasing dementia risk—raising urgent public health concerns.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/260553/covid-19-linked-increase-biomarkers-abnormal-brain/
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u/[deleted] Feb 03 '25

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u/stressandscreaming Feb 03 '25 edited Feb 04 '25

I feel you, I had it twice and have one of the earliest signs of Alzheimers a young 30 something can have.

Yay, fear.

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u/Hobominded Feb 04 '25

If you don't mind me asking, what sign is that? To look out for

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u/stressandscreaming Feb 04 '25

I have REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.

This means I move during REM sleep, something my body should be paralyzed and unable to do. But because of my brain not functioning properly, I don't remain still during dreams. Some symptoms are things such as acting out your dreams, kicking, punching, flailing, jumping out of bed, laughing, talking, and crying.

My poor husband has endured being in an MMA fight with me in my sleep, waking to me crying or screaming or otherwise breaking things around me. If you have it, the first sign will be someone sleeping next to you letting you know. Or like me, waking up with cuts and bruises I don't remember directly injuring myself for.

REM sleep behavior disorder is linked to Alzheimer's disease because it is often considered an early indicator of neurodegeneration in the brain, particularly in areas associated with sleep regulation, and studies have shown that people with RBD have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia, potentially due to shared underlying brain pathology involving the build-up of abnormal proteins like alpha-synuclein. The abnormal dream-acting behaviors in RBD may reflect a dysfunction in the brain regions affected by Alzheimer's disease. 

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u/SqeeSqee Feb 04 '25

How long have you had this issue?

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u/stressandscreaming Feb 04 '25 edited Feb 04 '25

My mom said I'd kick and flail in my sleep as a child, but I noticed a huge change when I was 19. I punched the wall next to my hand, broke my lamp, and smashed a glass cup sitting on my nightstand before I changed my bedroom layout to be less painful for me.

But my symptoms have increased. They used to be once every couple of months. Now it's every night. Most commonly waking up to my own crying or screaming.

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u/Gyramuur Feb 04 '25

Huh. I don't really have issues with flailing around, I think. I have a partner who sleeps in the same bed and according to them I sleep pretty normally. But I do wake up with random cuts on my back sometimes. I wonder if it's slightly related.

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u/stressandscreaming Feb 04 '25

No, not likely. The movement during REM sleep is the requirement for diagnosis because our bodies should be paralyzed during that time.

The wounds I had were on my hands, arms, legs and face because of the movement I am doing being a direct cause of the harm.

Scratches on your back could be from rough sleeping conditions, scratching during sleep due to skin conditions, or even certain medical conditions such as sleepwalking or parasomnia (neither of which are related to REM Sleep Behavior Disorder.)

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u/NatStrawn Feb 06 '25

My 65 yo dad has REM Sleep Behavior Disorder and his doctors think it is early Alzheimer’s. But every time he takes the Alzheimer’s memory test, they tell him he has the highest score out of anyone they have ever seen. His brain scans are beautiful. He is a retired judge and works as an attorney now. We are all afraid to lose his brain to Alzheimer’s one day bc of the association with REM disorder. If you learn more about it please tell me!