There’s a reason why one feels refreshed after taking a much needed nap; according to a recently published study, when one is asleep, the brain accelerates the process of removing toxic components within it.
According to a study published in the journal Science, this process is mediated by the glymphatic system, the brain’s plumbing framework that was discovered only last year by the same researchers.
In their study, the researchers initially used a dye to study the flow of CSF, cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. This is a clear fluid that bathes the central nervous system, i.e. the brain and spinal column, and is the medium for the exchange of nutrients and wastes.
This bit of the study showed that when the mice were asleep or anesthetized, CSF flowed rapidly compared to when they were conscious.
This was followed by an examination of the size changes in the extracellular space through which CSF flowed, and it was found that extracellular space increased by up to 60% during periods of unconsciousness.
The increased flow resulted in a rapid clearance of the dye, which was a tagged β-amyloid, a protein often found in abundance in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer’s, one of several neurodegenerative diseases which as yet to not have a cure.
This clearance could help explain a perplexing relation that has often been documented between neurodegenerative diseases and sleep disorders. It could also offer an explanation as to why sleeplessness muddles one’s thinking and when extended, results in death.
One promising application of this new knowledge is in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, because toxic elements tend to accumulate in the extracellular space, and finding a way to stimulate the glymphatic system to clear more toxics would thus improve prognoses for people.
But until such a time, remember to get adequate sleep because it will help your brain stay toxin-free.
By Matengo Chwanya
Sources: Sciencemag/ Voanwes/ Sciencedaily/ BBC/
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