United States: A recent study shows the following: Nightmares can be the first sign of autoimmune diseases affecting the organic brain.
More About the Study
Conducted by public health researcher Melanie Sloan from the University of Cambridge, the study found that bad dreams are among the earliest and most common signs that a lupus flare is imminent.
An online survey of 676 lupus patients—also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients—revealed that about 30 percent experienced disrupted dreams a year before other symptoms of the disease manifested.
These results support growing anecdotal evidence suggesting a curious connection between individual dreams and the brain’s immune system, as reported by ScienceAlert.
Expert Insights
According to the neurologist and study author Guy Leschziner from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals in London, “We have long been aware that alterations in dreaming may signify changes in physical, neurological and mental health, and can sometimes be early indicators of disease, as sciencealert.com reported.
“However, this is the first evidence that nightmares may also help us monitor such a serious autoimmune condition like lupus, and is an important prompt to patients and clinicians alike that sleep symptoms may tell us about impending relapse,” he added.
More About SLE
SLE is a potentially disabling chronic, systemic disease of unclear etiology that can affect individuals of any age, though it is primarily diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 45.
The disease can cause inflammation and pain in the joints, fever, chest pains, general body weakness, and hair loss, though not all SLE patients who experience a flare undergo neuropsychiatric symptoms.
For the approximately 40 percent who do, diagnosis and treatment are complicated, as symptoms like nightmares or hallucinations are hard to observe and often feared to disclose.
The cognitive manifestation of auto-antibodies against the brain often leads to vivid, emotionally charged dreams, though this is not a prevalent issue.
Recent research indicates that individuals who later develop Parkinson’s disease—associated with autoimmune problems—are troubled by these dreams for up to a decade before onset, as reported by ScienceAlert.
Nightmares may also indicate dementia, another condition associated with immunity. Similarly, multiple sclerosis patients may experience ugly dreams before a flare-up, and some individuals with lupus report the same.
In addition to the online survey, in-depth interviews were conducted with 69 participants diagnosed with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARD), including lupus.