It is known that sleeping problems are one of the first symptoms of dementia among humans. And now, Scientists have begun to analyze dogs that experience similar interruptions when they sleep.
In an investigation of frontiers 28 older dogs were studied and it was observed that those with symptoms of canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) took longer to reconcile their sleep and spent less time sleeping on their siesta.
Higher dementia scores also correlated with less rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, meaning these dogs were less likely to dream. “Our study is the first to evaluate the association between cognitive deterioration and sleep using polysomnography, the same technique that is used in people, in age dogs”, says the lead author, Dr. Natasha Olby, from North Carolina State University.
The group of dogs in the studio were between 10 and 16 years old, which corresponds to the average lifespan of a canine. To begin with, owners were asked to classify the characteristics of their pets, including the severity of CCD symptoms.
CCD, also known as canine dementia, is related to the aging of the brain of a dog, what leads to a deterioration of conscience and memory. Symptoms can include avoiding social interactions, disorientation and anxiety. Luego, the scientists also carried out their own exam of the dogsin search of any other sign of the condition.
After compiling these results, it was found that he 28.5 percent had severe dementia, while 14.3 percent and another 28.5 percent had a moderate or mild form respectively. Luego, these dogs entered a sueño clinic where the scientists they were able to analyze their eye movements in addition to their heart and muscle activity.
All but the dogs will enter a state of drowsiness, before which 24 will enter a state of sleep in REM where brain activity becomes more peaceful and slower. Luego, poco más de la mitad cayó en el sueño REM, the state in which it is most likely that sleep occurs when the brain becomes more active.
Interestingly, dogs with higher scores for dementia took longer to reconcile their sleep. The scientists observed the oscillations in the electrical signals of the brain to analyze this, which are usually captured by small sensors that rest on the head of a test subject.
The results follow to another studio from the past year that I found that The risk of canine dementia increases by 52 percent each year after a dog turns 10. Inactive dogs have a risk of 6.5 times more CCD than those who exercise regularly.
At that time, the researchers wrote: “Given the growing evidence of parallelisms between canine and human cognitive illnesses, the accurate diagnosis of CCD in dogs can provide researchers with more adequate animal models to study aging in human populations”. (I)
