Menu Close

Potential genetic cause of sleeping disorder discovered

A potential genetic cause for a severe sleep disorder that is closely linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s has been found by researchers at the University of Toronto.

The sleeping disorder, called rapid-eye-movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD), causes people to move violently during dreaming (REM) sleep, potentially hurting themselves or others. Between 60 and 80 per cent of people with RBD develop a neurodegenerative disease later in life.

Understanding RBD could have direct implications for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Read more at University of Toronto

Want to write?

Write an article and join a growing community of more than 182,400 academics and researchers from 4,942 institutions.

Register now