Do you sleep well to slow the progression of Alzheimer's?

summary

Although sleep disorders are commonly reported in people with dementia (1), whether this is a cause or a consequence of the disease is unclear. It is increasingly evident that changes in normal sleep patterns affect the progression of the disease, thereby promoting the appearance of aggregates of β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau that are gradually deposited in the body. brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Studies in humans and mice confirm the role of sleep in reducing Aβ accumulation (2, 3However, tau aggregates are more closely badociated with synaptic degeneration and clinical symptoms of AD (4). On page 880 of this issue, Holth et al. (5) provide direct evidence that disrupting sleep or stimulating the excitatory neurons of the brain nuclei that control arousal and arousal stimulates the release and spread of damaging tau aggregates in the brain of mice, and that sleep deprivation causes an increase in extracellular Aβ and tau in humans.