New study reveals role of deep sleep in brain waste removal

Proceeding from its recent article, Fox News describes that scientists have uncovered new insights into the brain's natural waste removal process, shedding light on the importance of deep sleep. 

Achieving that coveted, yet often elusive, restful night of sleep might require some extra effort.

Newly published research suggests that deep sleep helps clear the mind of waste, much like a "dishwasher" cleans dishes. But that’s not all.

The study also sheds light on how sleeping pills could interfere with this "brainwashing" process, potentially impacting cognitive function in the long term.

Professor Maiken Nedergaard, senior author of the study from the University of Rochester and the University of Copenhagen, explained that norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter and hormone, prompts blood vessels to contract, generating slow pulses that create a rhythmic flow in surrounding fluids to remove waste, as reported by news agency SWNS.

Nedergaard stated, "It's like turning on the dishwasher before you go to bed and waking up with a clean brain. . . . We're essentially trying to understand what drives this process and defining restorative sleep through this 'glymphatic clearance.'"

According to the scientists, the brain has a natural waste removal mechanism known as the glymphatic system, which circulates fluid throughout the brain and spinal cord to eliminate waste.

This process plays a crucial role in clearing out toxic proteins that form sticky plaques associated with neurological conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

However, the researchers pointed out that the exact mechanism driving this system remained unclear until now, as revealed in their study.

To uncover clues, Nedergaard and her team studied the brain activity of mice during sleep, as reported by SWNS. Their focus was on examining the connection between norepinephrine and blood flow during deep sleep.

The researchers discovered that norepinephrine waves are linked to changes in brain blood volume, indicating that norepinephrine causes rhythmic pulsations in the blood vessels. They then compared these blood volume changes to the flow of brain fluid. The fluctuations in brain fluid flow align with the variations in blood volume, implying that the blood vessels function as pumps, driving the surrounding brain fluid to eliminate waste.

By Naila Huseynova