WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

摘要

The flailing limbs of someone acting out their dreams in bed may not seem the obvious place to seek a cure for Parkinson's disease. But, as Alison Abbott finds out, this sleep disorder is shedding fresh light on the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Many couples suffer in silence, for fear that the police may be called. But those who make it to the sleep clinic have some bizarre tales to tell. Sleep neurologist Brad Boeve recalls one couple who described a particularly horrendous night-timeevent. While they slept in their bed, the husband suddenly grabbed his wife's head, shook it around roughly, then slammed it down hard and threw up his arms. Far from being intentional, this distressing episode was the result of a disorder that sees sleeping people physically act out their dreams. In this instance, when the husband woke up he revealed that he had been playing rugby in his dream, had scored a try and then raised his arms in victory.