Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to severe neurological disorders

Lack of sleep destroys our brain itself
In general, sleep is very important for the body and mind. Researchers now found in a study on mice that sleep deprivation increases the destructive activity of certain cells in the brain. This leads to an increased risk of developing dementia.

The researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found in their study that sleep deprivation leads to an increase in the destructive activity of brain cells. This process is designed to kill worn cells. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Journal of Neuroscience".

There are many people who suffer from significant sleep problems. Lack of sleep can cause serious health problems. Physicians found that sleep deprivation leads to an increased destructive activity of brain cells. (Image: Sven Vietense / fotolia.com)

Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to Alzheimer's
The eradication of potentially damaging debris and worn cells and the rebuilding of worn circuits could protect healthy brain connections, the scientists speculate. So this destructive activity can have positive effects in the short term. But it can also cause long-term damage. This could explain why a chronic lack of sleep triggers the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological diseases, explains author Michele Bellesi.

Physicians examine the brains of sleep deprived mice
For the study, the research team compared the brains of mice, which could either sleep as long as they wanted or were kept awake for eight hours before sleeping. Another group of mice was kept awake for a period of five days, this should mimic a chronic sleep deprivation, the scientists explain.

How does sleep deprivation affect you??
The physicians looked specifically at the so-called glial cells of the brain. Previous research had already established that a gene that regulates the activity of these cells is more active after a period of sleep deprivation. After undisturbed sleep, certain glial cells (astrocytes) appeared to be active in about six percent of synapses in the brain, say the physicians. In mice with sleep deprivation, the astrocytes appeared to be significantly more active. In eight-hour-delayed mice, astrocyte activity at the synapses was eight percent. Animals with chronic sleep deprivation showed increased activity in 13.5 percent of their synapses, the authors add.

Astrocytes literally eat our brains through sleep deprivation
The findings suggest that sleep loss can cause astrocytes to destroy an increased number of connections of the brain. For the first time we have been able to show that parts of synapses are literally consumed by astrocytes due to sleep loss, explains Bellesi. The finding could explain why a lack of sleep can make people more susceptible to the development of dementia.

Sleep deprivation makes cells associated with brain disorders more active
The team of scientists also found that so-called microglial cells were more active after a chronic sleep deprivation. This is a disturbing finding because excessive microglial activity is associated with a number of brain disorders, explains Bellesi.

Further research is needed
We already know that in Alzheimer's disease and other forms of neurodegeneration, sustained activation of microglial cells has been observed, the researchers say. The results of the current study could explain why a lack of sleep can make people more susceptible to the development of dementia, researchers said. Additional research is now needed to better understand the positive and negative effects of sleep. (As)