A new study shows excessive napping could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease.
According to the study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, researchers compared the brains of 13 people who'd had Alzheimer's and died with the brains of seven people who didn't have the disease.
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The researchers specifically examined the parts of the brain involved in keeping us awake during the day. They described finding a degeneration of the whole wakefulness-promoting network in the brains from Alzheimer's patients.
Because of that, researchers conclude there's a more direct biological pathway between Alzheimer's and daytime sleepiness.
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It's still unclear though how much time lapses between when sleep changes happen and memory loss begins. The scientists say follow up research needs to be done.