Their activity levels reached a peak earlier in the day than in controls while their body temperature rhythm appeared normal. The findings appear in the April Archives of General Psychiatry . Intriguingly, fronto-temporal dementia patients were able to attain a stage of quiescence, or subdued activity, though it did not necessarily happen at night as it does in controls. This more restful state eluded Alzheimer's patients. Alzheimer's effects on memory and cognition are notorious but the accompanying sleep disturbances are among the most devastating aspects of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, including fronto-temporal degeneration.
Sleep disturbances are actually more disturbing to caregivers than the cognitive symptoms.
They are often cited as the primary factor behind the decision to institutionalize. Once moved to an unfamiliar institutional setting, Alzheimer patients often experience a rapid decline. Clinicians have tried to treat these sleep disorders by resetting the circadian clock for example by exposing patients to bright light early in the morning or by giving them melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate sleep-wake cycles, at bedtime with mixed results. The problem is that doctors have not identified the type of dementia their patients suffer from, said Harper. Based on their study, Harper believes that such chronobiological approaches may be more helpful to Alzheimer patients than those with fronto-temporal degeneration.