Lack of sleep can lead to Alzheimer ’s and dementia

This study is the clearest demonstration in humans that sleep disruption leads to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease through an amyloid beta mechanism,” said senior author Randall Bateman, MD, the Charles F. and Joanne Knight Distinguished Professor of Neurology. “The study showed that it was due to overproduction of amyloid beta during sleep deprivation.”More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer ’s, a disease characterized by gradual memory loss and cognitive decline.What is the Difference Between Alzheimer ’s and DementiaThis study indicatesthat sleeping poorly increases levels of brain proteins such as amyloid beta that are linked to Alzheimer ’s disease. But it wasn ’t clear why amyloid beta levels rise in a tired brain.Eight people ages 30 to 60 with no sleep or cognitive problems.The participants were assigned randomly to one of three scenarios:having a normal night ’s sleep without any sleep aids; staying up all night; or sleeping after treatment with sodium oxybate, a prescription medication for sleep disorders. Sodium oxybate increases slow-wave sleep— the deep, dreamless phase of sleep that people need to wake up feeling refreshed.How Do Alzheimer's Patients Die?Each scenario occurred during 36 hours of monitoring, starting in the morning and continuing through the afternoon of the following day. The researchers took samples of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord every two hours to monitor ho...
Source: Alzheimer's Reading Room, The - Category: Neurology Tags: health lack of sleep alzheimer's lack of sleep dementia poor sleep linked to alzheimer Source Type: blogs