- A study found a night without sleep increased levels of beta-amyloid in the brain
- People with mild memory loss have 21% more beta-amyloid than healthy people
- While those with Alzheimer’s disease have 43% more beta-amyloid, experts say
- Sleep is vital in clearing away beta-amyloid, which can form clumps in the brain
Sleep deprivation may raise the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease.
Just one sleepless night has been found to cause the build-up of a protein linked to the devastating condition.
A study of 20 people found a night without sleep increased the beta-amyloid protein in part of the brain by five per cent.
People with mild memory loss have 21 per cent more beta-amyloid in their brains than healthy elderly people, while those with Alzheimer’s disease have 43 per cent more beta-amyloid.
While previous studies have shown similar brain changes in mice, this is the first to show brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s after a sleepless night in the human brain.
Sleep is vital in clearing away beta-amyloid, which can form clumps in the brain to block important pathways for memory.
Just one sleepless night has been found to cause the build-up of a protein linked to the devastating condition
However, it is not clear if the effects of a sleepless night are long-lasting or are seen only the day afterwards.
The study’s lead author, Dr Ehsan Shokri-Kojori, from the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, said: ‘Often brain changes seen in animals are not replicated in humans, so this is interesting.
‘The increase in beta-amyloid we saw in the brains of people who were sleep-deprived is likely to be a harmful process.
‘A reasonable prediction based on these results would be that poorer sleep habits create a risk for Alzheimer’s disease.’
Researchers examined the effects of sleep deprivation on 20 healthy people aged 22 to 72 over the course of two nights.
For one of those nights the group were allowed to sleep from 10pm to 7am, while on the second they were kept up all night long.
Their brains were scanned afterwards to show a ‘significant increase’ in amyloid-beta in two regions of the brain vulnerable to damage in Alzheimer’s patients.
The hippocampus plays a key role in memory while the thalamus acts as a relay centre for motor and sensory nerve signals.
After a sleepless night, the group had five per cent more beta-amyloid than if they had got a full night of rest, according to the study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Sleep may play an important role in a natural ‘waste disposal’ system that clears potentially harmful material including amyloid-beta out of the brain, scientists believe.
Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at the charity at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘There is growing evidence of a link between disrupted sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, but it is difficult to tease apart cause and effect to determine whether sleep problems might cause Alzheimer’s brain changes or vice-versa.
‘This very small study suggests that one night of sleep deprivation can raise levels of the hallmark Alzheimer’s protein amyloid, strengthening suggestions that sleep is important for limiting the build-up of this protein in the brain.’
WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain.
There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today.
It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million.
In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.
Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
Currently there is no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are.
Source: Dementia UK
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