A recent study suggests that Alzheimer’s disease can have a stronger link with sleep that was thought before, the quality of sleep and the duration playing an important role in its development.
Sleep disturbances, especially during the transition to REM, can serve as early signs of cognitive decline. Paradoxical sleep is important for the consolidation of memory, emotional treatment and overall health of the brain.
“Sleep disorders are common in dementia patients and have been increasingly associated with Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease and dementia -related biomarkers (AD / ADRD), even in the preplinical stage of the disease, ”noted the authors of the study.
Understanding the various sleep stages, including REM, could provide valuable information looking for Alzheimer’s.
How sleep changes with age
Sleep, for health, is not only a singular and transparent cycle. We undergo three distinct phases of sleep not rem, each gradually deeper than the first, before finally passing into paradoxical sleep.
The completion of this cycle usually takes 90 minutes or more, depending on age. As people get older, it often takes more time to switch to paradoxical sleep.
This delay may indicate underlying neurological changes, potentially linked to the progression of Alzheimer’s.
REM sleep and memory connection
During paradoxical sleep, the brain is hard to treat memories – especially those that are emotionally loaded – and drop them off in long -term storage.
“The delay in paradoxical sleep disrupts the capacity of the brain to consolidate memories by interfering with the process which contributes to learning and memory,” said Dr. Yue Leng, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Sciences of the Sciences of behavior of the UCSF.
“If it is insufficient or delayed, it can increase the stress hormone cortisol. This can alter the hippocampus of the brain, a critical structure for the consolidation of memory. »»
Sleep models in Alzheimer’s patients
The researchers observed 128 individuals (with an average age of 70 years) in the neurology unit of the China-Japan Friendship hospital in Beijing. Among them, half was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, about a third had a slight cognitive impairment and the rest had normal cognition.
Participants spent one night at the clinic, allowing researchers to monitor their brain wave activity, their eye movement, their heart rate and their breathing.
On the basis of these observations, the researchers classified individuals in early and delayed REM sleep groups. The old group went to the sleep of the REM in less than 98 minutes, while the second generally took more than 193 minutes.
REM sleep and Alzheimer’s
The researchers identified an interesting model. Alzheimer’s patients were more prone to REM sleep, and they also had higher levels of two toxic proteins – the amyloid and the tau – generally associated with the condition.
People with prolonged REM sleep had higher amyloid levels of 16% and 29% tau levels compared to their counterparts with early REM sleep. They also underwent a 39% decrease in a beneficial protein called a neurotrophic factor derived from the brain (BDNF), known to lower in Alzheimer’s disease.
Potential strategies against Alzheimer’s disease
With these results in mind, researchers recommend examining the effects of drugs that influence the sleep cycle.
“Future research should study the effects of certain drugs that influence sleep habits, as they can change the progression of the disease,” said Leng.
Melatonin, known for its role in sleep regulation, has been demonstrated in animal studies to increase REM sleep while reducing the accumulation of tau and amyloid.
Other insomnia drugs that block chemicals removing paradoxical sleep have shown similar effects.
Prioritize healthy sleep habits
For people concerned about their risk of Alzheimer, the priority of healthy sleep habits can be beneficial.
“This includes the treatment of conditions such as sleep apnea and avoidance of excessive alcohol consumption, as the two can interfere with a healthy sleep cycle,” said Danto Peng of the Department of Neurology of the ‘Chine-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, which is also a main author of the study.
“Patients who take certain antidepressants and sedatives who reduce paradoxical sleep should discuss their concerns with their doctor, if they are worried about Alzheimer’s disease.”
In conclusion, although sleep alone may not serve as an autonomous Alzheimer’s indicator, it becomes more and more clear that sleep habits play a crucial role in brain health.
Research was published in Alzheimer’s and dementia: The newspaper of the Alzheimer’s association.
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