Dream-enactment disorder rose up to fourfold during pandemic, study finds

Exclusive: Condition most prevalent among those who had Covid, raising possibility of link with Parkinson's disease

Scientists have reported a two- to fourfold increase in the prevalence of dream-enactment disorder - whereby people physically act out their dreams - during the pandemic, with those who have been infected with Covid the most likely to experience it.

Given that the phenomenon can be an early indicator of Parkinson's disease, it is possible the virus has triggered brain changes that could increase people's risk of developing the condition. The researchers, however, stressed that it could also be the result of pandemic-induced stress and that further research was needed to explore the link.