Results of the new
study, funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS), part of the NIH, suggests that during sleep the brain is cleared of
damaging molecules associated with neurodegeneration. Sleep changes the cellular
structure of the brain. It appears to be a completely different state,” said
Maiken Nedergaard, M.D., leader of the study. Not only is sleep
important for storing memories, it may be also be the period when the brain
cleanses itself of toxic molecules. It appears that during sleep a plumbing
system called the glymphatic system opens, letting fluid flow rapidly through
the brain. Glial cells help control
the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear liquid surrounding the brain
and spinal cord, through the glymphatic
system by shrinking or swelling. Since this appears to happen only during
sleep, it highlights the critical importance of sleep in clearing the brain of
toxins.
Xie et al “Sleep
initiated fluid flux drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain.” Science,
October 18, 2013. DOI: 10.1126/science.1241224
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