Sleep helps brain stay fit by clearing waste 17 October 2013 - 23H30
AFP - Like a janitor sweeping the halls after the lights go out, major changes occur in the brain during sleep to flush out waste and ward off disease, researchers said Thursday.
The research in the journal Science offers new answers to explain why people spend a third of their lives asleep and may help in treating dementia and other neurological disorders.
In lab experiments on mice, researchers observed how cellular waste was flushed out via the brain's blood vessels into the body's circulatory system and eventually the liver.
These waste products included amyloid beta, a protein that when accumulated is a driver of Alzheimer's disease
The whole operation takes place in what researchers call the glymphatic system, which appears to be nearly 10 times more active during sleep than while awake. . . .
Front Porch Punditry
Print view
Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:07 pm
reply
Front Porch Punditry