I don’t know if it is fair to label any singular disease as the “cruelest” one to contract, but I feel like dementia has to be up there. It steals so much from a person. It takes your memory and your cognitive functions, and it changes you into a person your family can’t recognize. As of 2020, 55 million people around the globe were living with dementia, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International. The organization also reports that figure will almost double every 20 years, reaching 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. It is believed a new case develops every 3.2 seconds.
Sadly, there is no cure for dementia as of 2026, though significant strides have been made in treating it. Part of getting to a place where the disease can be treated — and hopefully one day eradicated — is understanding how it shows up in the body.
A recent study from the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital identified Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder, or iRBD, as a possible factor for developing dementia later in life, according to a report from LAD Bible. The condition, though rare, is when a person acts out dreams vocally and physically while deep in REM sleep. This could look like someone who sits up abruptly, swings with their fists, kicks, or more while technically unconscious.
The team of scientists conducted a total of 318 neuropsychological assessments from 162 patients with iRBD (28% women), analyzed their cognitive functions, and found over time it led to a diagnosis. “The mean age at diagnosis was 65.6 years, with an average follow-up duration of 7.7 years,” the study claimed. “Significant linear declines were observed across attention/working memory and memory domains.”
Scientists also observed some striking pattern differences between men and women. Men had “significant declines in attention/working memory and memory” while women experienced “a more restricted decline.”
In addition, iRBD was also found to be indicative of other serious illnesses, the scientists concluded: 18 (52.9%) led to Parkinson’s disease, 9 (26.5%) to dementia with Lewy bodies, and 7 (20.6%) to multiple system atrophy.
Sleeping with a partner and asking about how the night went is one way to find out if you are acting out in your sleep. But if you notice signs such as unexplainable injuries after waking up, falling out of bed, or vivid dreams, talk to your doctor about undergoing a sleep study to determine if you could be have iRBD. Remember, correlation doesn’t necessarily mean causation, but determining your baseline could help you prepare for the future, whatever it holds.
