SLEEP: Clears Alzheimer's toxins
November 08, 2019 • 1 min read
-- You’ve heard of the liver cleanse. Now for the brain cleanse.
Scientists using cutting-edge MRI techniques have discovered that brain waves generated during deep sleep trigger a cleaning process in the brain, protecting it against Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Researchers observed electrical signals, known as slow waves, moments before a pulse of fluid washes through the brain, thought to remove toxins associated with Alzheimer’s.
Studies show that people with Alzheimer’s often have sleep problems. And there’s growing evidence that people with sleep problems are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.
The link between sleep and Alzheimer’s suggests that people could reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s by getting a good night’s sleep.
Deep sleep, slow wash
Researchers were intrigued by the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF – the liquid that flows through the brain and spinal cord. They discovered that as we sleep, waves of CSF wash into the brain every 20 seconds, much like the oscillations of a slow washing machine.
An electrical wave precedes each CSF wave, suggesting the former triggers the CSF wash cycle.
Electrophysiological slow waves appear when a person enters the state known as deep sleep, or non-rapid eye movement sleep.
People with Alzheimer’s have less of these electrophysiological slow waves, with a corresponding drop in the number of wash cycles in the brain, limiting the brain’s ability to clear out toxins associated with Alzheimer’s.