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When we dream, our bodies are normally paralyzed so we don’t act out the dream. In isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), that safety switch fails: people may talk, shout, punch, or kick during sleep. iRBD is important because most people with it will later develop a brain disease like Parkinson’s disease or dementia with Lewy bodies.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and affects hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to its development, but recent research highlights the importance of the brain’s immune system—particularly a specialized immune cell type called microglia.

Prior research has shown that the immune system processes can influence risk of cognitive decline, but the exact mechanisms are not yet understood. Our hypothesis is that we can use genetics to better understand the relationship between the immune system and cognition.