Study Links Day Drowsiness To ‘Pre-Dementia’ Syndrome

A new study has suggested that seniors who are drowsy during the day and find it hard to muster enthusiasm for activities could be at higher risk of a brain condition that precedes dementia. Researchers reported these findings on November 6 in the journal ‘Neurology’.

These sleep-related problems are associated with “motoric cognitive risk syndrome,” a predementia condition that causes slow walking speed and some memory problems, researchers explained.

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning — thinking, remembering, and reasoning — to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Some people with dementia cannot control their emotions, and their personalities may change.

People with excessive daytime sleepiness and a lack of enthusiasm are more than three times more likely to develop this syndrome, compared to people without those sleep-related problems.