Quebec, March 11 -- A simple blood test for people with a certain sleep disorder may help predict the development of dementia years before symptoms occur, according to a new study.

Idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD) causes people to physically act out their dreams while sleeping. The disorder is also associated with a very high risk of Parkinson's disease and a related condition called Dementia with Lewy Bodies. This is a form of dementia that often causes memory and cognitive loss, as well as vivid visual hallucinations and movement difficulties similar to Parkinson's.

McGill University researchers have discovered that a blood test, originally developed to detect Alzheimer's disease, could also identify which patients with ...