Here is what's being reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine:
Clumps of protein in the brain, called plaques, are thought to be a key component of Alzheimer's. Researchers studying mice discovered when these clumps started forming the mice started having trouble sleeping.
Now the question is whether this also applies to humans.
The hunt for early hints that someone is developing Alzheimer's may be crucial for treating the disease. That's because people do not show memory problems until very late in the disease.
