Sleep deprivation can cause brain to start 'eating' itself
26 MAY 2017 • 2:25PM
A lack of sleep can cause parts of the brain's synapses to be 'eaten' by other brain cells, according to a new study by researchers at the Marche Polytechnic University in Italy.
Astrocytes are a cell in the brain that clean out worn-out cells and debris. Scientists studying the brains of mice found these cells were more active when the animals had been deprived of sleep, breaking down more of the brain's connections.
“We show for the first time that portions of synapses are literally eaten by astrocytes because of sleep loss,” research leader Michele Bellesi told New Scientist.
However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as most of the synapses affected were larger and more mature: “They are like old pieces of furniture, and so probably need more attention and cleaning,” said Bellesi.
A more worrying finding was that 'microglial' brain cells, which seek out damaged cells and debris, were also more active in brain experiencing chronic sleep deprivation.
“We already know that sustained microglial activation has been observed in Alzheimer’s and other forms of neurodegeneration,” Bellesi said.
Previous research has found that chronic sleep deprivation increases so-called plaques in the brain thought to be a main cause of Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
All I know is that I go to sleep when I'm sleepy and wake up when I want. If my brain is "eating itself", then I'm pretty sure that it's hungry as hell right about now, considering there wasn't much of a snack left at my age!
Coffee out on the patio this morning. The rain is supposedly gone for a while.
6 comments:
Sleep deprivation is definitely not my problem. I take a nap most afternoons and sleep at least 8 hours every night. Hmmmm, maybe that's too much?
Hey Momlady...
I also like my nap during the day. Function much better with it, I think.
Thanks for stopping by this morning!
That is scary for me, since I rarely sleep more than two hours without waking and am awake 3 or 4 times a night during the 8-9 hours in in bed at night....hmmmm!
That's some creepy thoughts there for some people who have a problem sleeping. Me I think I'm OK and yes I nap in the afternoon.
Patio sounds nice as always
Hey Mamahen...
The way I see it, you should listen to what your body says it wants and follow along. Works for me.
Thanks for coming over today!
Hey Jo...
For many sleep may be a problem, but I think we are all OK. Just my opinion, ya know?
Thanks, dear, for dropping by this morning!
So, since the synapses are the connections between neurons, if the synapses are being cleaned out and, possibly, removed, that means that you have all the brain cells, but you're missing the connections between them. The cells exist but don't know their neighbors. Much like a modern suburban neighborhood. Do you suppose that modern society is sleep deprived?
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