New research shows that lower relationships of specific sleep phases are associated with reduced volume of brain in regions that are vulnerable to the development of Alzheimer’s disease over time.
Results show that people with lower percentages of time spent in sleep of the slow wave and sleep from the rapid eye movement smaller volumes in critical brain areas, in particular the inferior parietal area, which is known to undergo early structural changes in Alzheimer’s disease. The results were adapted for potential confounders, including demographic characteristics, smoking history, alcohol consumption, hypertension and coronary heart disease.
“Our findings offer provisional evidence that reduced neuroactivity during sleep can contribute to brain atrophy, which may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Cho Cho, who has a doctorate in public health and a post -doctoral employee at Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut. “These results are particularly significant because they help characterize how lack of sleep, a common disturbance in middle -aged adults and older people, can be related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive disorders.”
The study was published on March 31 as an accepted article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep MedicineThe official publication of the American Academy or Sleep Medicine.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common cause of dementia. An estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older live with Alzheimer’s disease, and this number is expected to double in 2060, pending medical developments to prevent, delay or cure the disease.
The study included an analysis of data from 270 participants who had a median age of 61 years. Fifty -three percent were female and all participants were white. Individuals were excluded from the analysis if they previously had a stroke or likely dementia or other significant brain pathology. The research used polysomnography to assess the sleep architecture of the baseline. Advanced brain image techniques were used to measure brain volumes 13 to 17 years later.
According to the authors, the study shows an important connection between sleep and long -term brain health and emphasizes the potential possibilities to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Sleep architecture can be a changeable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementies, offering the opportunity to explore interventions to reduce the risk or to slow Alzheimer’s start,” said Cho.
The researchers emphasized that further research is needed to fully understand the causal relationships between sleep architecture and Alzheimer’s disease progression.