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According to experts, the most important sign that your dog may have DEMENTIA
- Dogs with dementia are more likely to fall asleep, experts say
- Research analyzed the behavior of 28 dogs between the ages of 10 and 16
- Older puppies with dementia were also more likely to sleep for less time
Sleep problems are known to be one of the earliest symptoms of dementia in humans.
And now scientists are starting to see parallels in our pets, with dogs experiencing similar disturbances while napping.
In a Frontiers study of 28 older dogs, those with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD) symptoms were found to take longer to fall asleep and spend less time napping.
Higher dementia scores were also correlated with slower eye movement (REM) sleep, meaning these dogs were less likely to dream.
“Our study is the first to evaluate the link between cognitive impairment and sleep using polysomnography — the same technique used in humans — in older dogs,” said senior author Dr. Natasha Olby of North Carolina State University.
Sleep problems are known to be one of the earliest symptoms of dementia in humans. And now scientists are starting to see parallels in our pets, with dogs experiencing similar disturbances while napping (stock image)
The research pool of dogs was between 10 and 16 years old, which corresponds to the average life span of a dog.
To begin with, owners were asked to characteristics of their beloved animals, including the severity of any CCD symptoms.
CCD – also known as canine dementia – is related to the aging of a dog’s brain, leading to a deterioration in consciousness and memory.
Symptoms can include avoidance of social interactions, disorientation, and anxiety.
Scientists then also conducted their own examination of the dogs, looking for other signs of the condition.
Putting these results together, it turned out that 28.5 percent had severe dementia, while 14.3 percent and another 28.5 percent had a moderate or mild form, respectively.
These dogs then went to a sleep clinic where scientists could analyze their eye movements in addition to their heart and muscle activity.
All but two dogs entered a state of drowsiness, before 24 entered a state of non-REM sleep, which causes brain activity to quiet down and slow down.
Then just over half fell into REM sleep – the state in which dreams occur more often and the brain becomes more active.
Interestingly, dogs with higher dementia scores took the longest to fall asleep and stay in a period of both non-REM and REM sleep.
Experts say dogs and humans show similar symptoms at the onset of dementia (stock image)
To analyze this, scientists looked at oscillations in electrical brain signals, which are usually picked up by tiny sensors resting on a subject’s head.
“In humans, slow brain oscillations are characteristic of SWS and linked to the activity of the so-called ‘glymphatic system,’ a transport system that removes protein waste products from the cerebrospinal fluid,” said Dr. Olby.
“The reduction of slow oscillations in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and the associated reduced clearance of these toxins, has been implicated in their poorer memory consolidation during deep sleep.”
The results follow another study last year that found that the risk of canine dementia increases by 52 percent each year after a dog turns 10 years old.
Inactive dogs have a 6.5 times greater risk of CCD than dogs that exercise regularly.
At the time, the researchers wrote, “Given mounting evidence of the parallels between cognitive disease in dogs and humans, accurate CCD diagnosis in dogs may provide researchers with more appropriate animal models to study aging in human populations.”