While autoimmune diseases are often associated with joint pain or skin problems, Some of them can also affect the central nervous systemThis is particularly the case with lupus, an autoimmune disease that can attack many organs, including the brain, explains The Mirror.
Early diagnosis and treatment are essential to limit complications. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and King’s College London have looked at an unexpected symptom that could act as a warning signal: nightmares..
Vivid dreams, an early warning signal?
The study carried out by the Anglo-Saxon team was based on questionnaires and interviews with more than a thousand people, including patients suffering from lupus and other rheumatic autoimmune diseases. Researchers were interested in the appearance of 29 neurological and psychological symptomsand more particularly to their chronology in relation to the outbreaks of the disease.
Surprising results: Nearly 60% of lupus patients reported sleep disturbances in the form of more frequent and more distressing dreams, and this, just before the appearance of hallucinations. This phenomenon, also observed in patients with other autoimmune diseases, concerned a third of the participants. The nightmares described were often distressing, depicting feelings of aggression, confinement or falling.
Nightmares and hallucinations: a link to understand
Although the link between sleep disorders and autoimmune diseases is not yet fully understood, researchers are putting forward a hypothesis. The chronic inflammation characteristic of these diseases could affect certain areas of the brain responsible for sleep and hallucinations.
Professor David D’Cruz, from King’s College London, and co-author of the study, explains that he has observed this phenomenon in his patients for many years.I have long discussed nightmares with my lupus patients and suspected a link to their disease activity. This study supports this hypothesis and strongly encourages doctors to take an interest in these neuropsychiatric symptoms often considered rare. when in fact they are very common in systemic autoimmune diseases.” he explained.
A new early diagnosis tool?
This discovery opens the way to better care for patients with autoimmune diseases. Indeed, identifying these warning symptoms would make it possible to anticipate flare-ups and adapt treatment more quickly. Professor Guy Leschziner, another author of the study, underlines the importance of this advance: “This is the first time that nightmares have been shown to help us monitor an autoimmune disease as serious as lupus. This is an important signal to patients and doctors, as sleep disturbances could alert us to an impending relapse.“
For now, further research is needed to confirm these results and understand the mechanisms at work. Nevertheless, this exciting study opens a new perspective in the field of autoimmune diseases and could help improve patients’ quality of life.
