Lack of deep sleep may set stage for Alzheimer’s
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The brain seems to clear out toxins linked to Alzheimer's disease during sleep and a lack of it could leave the brain prone to dementia.
A team of researchers plan a study looking at the link between sleep problems and Alzheimer's disease in people, according to NPR.
Jeffrey Iliff, a brain scientist at Oregon Health and Science University, already has completed a similar study in mice and is getting ready to launch one using humans, according to NPR.
He found in a 2013 study that the brain goes through a cleansing process during deep sleep. The glymphatic system allows the brain to push out toxins, including plaques that can lead to Alzheimer's disease.
"That suggests at least one possible way that disruption in sleep may predispose toward Alzheimer's disease," Iliff told NPR.
