American researchers have established a link between an imbalance of the circadian rhythm and the development of Parkinson’s disease in elderly men.
- Older men with an irregular circadian rhythm may be at greater risk of developing Parkinson’s disease
- The circadian rhythm brings together all our biological, physiological and behavioral mechanisms over 24 hours
- About 160,000 people have Parkinson’s disease in France
The number of people with Parkinson’s disease in France is estimated at 160,000. That Neurodegenerative disease is the second leading cause of motor disability after stroke. According to a recent study conducted by the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences (USA) and published in the JAMA Neurologyolder men with an irregular circadian rhythm are more at risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
Circadian Rhythm Activity on Health
The circadian rhythm brings together all our cyclical biological, physiological and behavioral mechanisms over a 24-hour period: the sleep/wake rhythm, the production of urine and stool, hair growth, cellular metabolism, blood circulation, variation in alertness or body temperature.
“Circadian rhythm activity seems to have a really big effect on health, especially in old age. In this study, we found that even small changes in this circadian rhythm in older men were associated with a greater likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease.”says Kristine Yaffe, vice chair of the department of psychiatry at UCSF and lead author of the study.
A track for early detection of the disease
To reach this conclusion, the researchers recruited 2,930 men with an average age of 76.3 years. None of them suffered from Parkinson’s disease when the study began and all lived in nursing homes. Their state of health was rigorously monitored and their circadian rhythm monitored using actigraphy, a kind of watch that measures the activity of the person wearing it. Seventy-eight of the 2,930 participants were diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and in each of these cases, their results confirmed that they were three times more likely to have it.
“If research indicates that sleep disturbances or circadian issues are risk factors for neurodegeneration before the onset of traditional symptoms, we may be able to use this information for early detection and diagnosis, or we may be able to intervene in a way that prevents the development of neurodegenerative loss of function”, observe the researchers. However, further studies still need to be conducted on the subject.
Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease (behind Alzheimer’s) of the nervous system. It is caused by the progressive degeneration of a particular class of dopamine-secreting nerve cells in the brainstem, below the brain. This deficit causes poor control of involuntary and automatic movements (that we do without thinking).
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