What are the effects of our sleep on the risk for Alzheimer’s?
There are various studies, which have noted a possible connection between sleep quality and the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Researchers found out now that an impaired deep sleep seems to be associated with the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
The scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found in your current investigation, that disturbances of a specific phase of sleep associated with early stages of cognitive deterioration. The doctors published the results of their study in the English journal “Science Translational Medicine”.
Elevated levels of Tau-Protein by too little sleep?
Sleep is important for the human body, this is generally known. How will it impact on diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, when our sleep is disturbed? In the past year, it was found that sleep deprivation can lead directly to an increase in the Amyloid-Beta accumulation in the brain, which can also be used in people with Alzheimer’s were observed. The current study clarifies the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease. The hypothesis behind the research is that there is a reduced depth may correlate with the increase of the Tau Protein in the brain. Tau proteins is placed next to Amyloid-Beta protein with the cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease.
What are the experts have studied?
The researchers examined in their study, the sleep patterns of 119 60-year-old subjects, of which the majority was cognitively healthy and no signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s. The sleep patterns of the subjects were monitored for the period of one week with the Sensors and portable EEG monitors. Tau – and Amyloid-a levels were followed in all subjects, using PET Scans or the sampling of spinal fluid.
Deep sleep has a massive influence on brain health
The results of the investigation showed that people had less deep sleep and higher amounts of Tau Protein in the brain. This stage of the sleep cycle of a Person is closely associated with memory consolidation. Many experts also assume that the deep sleep is to maintaining overall brain health is of vital importance.
Deep sleep and its impact on Tau proteins
Apparently the total amount of sleep is not dependent on the Tau Protein, but only our deep sleep, says also a lot about our quality of sleep, explains study author Brendan Lucey of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Some questions remain however unanswered. It is unclear whether poor sleep is ultimately a cause or a consequence of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is also not clear whether sleep changes are pathological changes in the brain precede, or follow, the experts explain. The explanations for age-related neurodegenerative diseases are undoubtedly more complicated than the result of years of poor sleep, add the doctors. The researchers suspect, however, that sleep disturbances can be an effective early warning tool to help Doctors to identify patients in the earliest preclinical cognitive stages.