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A recent study found that nightmares and hallucinations may serve as early indicators of autoimmune diseases, particularly lupus.

Led by an international team of researchers from esteemed institutions including the University of Cambridge and King's College London, the study sheds light on the significance of neuropsychiatric symptoms in identifying potential disease flares.

Professor James Alan Bourgeois, a co-author of the study from the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, noted the importance of recognizing these symptoms, stating, "Many people don't know that neuropsychiatric symptoms, including confusion, hallucinations and vivid nightmares, can be part of autoimmune diseases like lupus."

The research, which involved surveys of 676 lupus patients and 400 clinicians, along with detailed interviews, revealed compelling insights. Melanie Sloan, lead author of the paper and a researcher at the University of Cambridge, emphasizes the need for clinicians to address these symptoms with patients.

"Patients often know which symptoms are a bad sign that their disease is about to flare, but both patients and doctors can be reluctant to discuss mental health and neurological symptoms," Sloan remarked, UC Davis reported.

Lupus, formally known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), affects approximately 1.5 million people in the U.S. and 5 million globally, with a majority being individuals assigned female at birth. The study's findings shed light on the importance of early detection, as disruptions in dream sleep were reported by three in five patients, with a third experiencing these symptoms over a year before the onset of lupus.

Moreover, the study emphasized the significance of terminology in patient communication, noting that using the term "daymares" for hallucinations led to a better understanding among patients.

Professor David D'Cruz from King's College London, senior author of the study, stressed the need for increased awareness among healthcare providers.

"This research provides evidence of this, and we are strongly encouraging more doctors to ask about nightmares and other neuropsychiatric symptoms - thought to be unusual, but actually very common in systemic autoimmunity - to help us detect disease flares earlier," D'Cruz said.

The study published in eClinicalMedicine, a publication of The Lancet, showed the critical importance of recognizing neuropsychiatric symptoms as potential indicators of autoimmune diseases, aiming to prevent misdiagnosis and improve patient outcomes.

"If someone presents with new psychotic symptoms and has other autoimmune symptoms, and a family history of autoimmune disease, a provider is advised to clinically evaluate him or her for lupus before assuming a patient has schizophrenia or other primary psychotic disorder," Bourgeois stated.