Scientists trigger sleep’s restorative effect in mice forced to stay awake
Generic worker asleep at a computer terminal, 2 October 2006. AFR Picture by ROB HOMER (Photo by Fairfax Media via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Researchers found a way to combat the effects of sleep deprivation in mice without the rodents needing to hit the sack. In fact, they were deliberately sleep-deprived. According to the National Institutes of Health, the researchers were able to induce specific brain activity that resulted in a recalibration of neural connections that normally happen when creatures sleep.
Big picture view:
The researchers were looking to get the brain to mimic some of the activity that happens during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep while the mice are still awake. During NREM sleep, which makes up about 80% of the time adults are asleep, the brain assesses the junctions between neurons that make memories. It will protect some for long-term memories and prune those that are less necessary to make way for new ones.
What they're saying:
"This research further decodes why we sleep and how we learn, which brings us a step closer to understanding how to better prevent and treat cognitive decline," said Amy Bany Adams, Ph.D., acting director of the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Dig deeper:
In research funded by the NIH, the study’s authors used light-pulsing implants and genetic modifications for 30 minutes at a time to affect parts of mice’s brains and mimic NREM sleep. When the rodents were allowed to hit the sack, those parts of the brain exhibited less of the slow-wave activity associated with NREM sleep. The paper claims that this indicated those parts of the brain needed less sleep.
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Researchers were also able to determine that the 30-minute pattern played a role in the effects on NREM sleep, and it was not just the reduction in neurons firing.
What they're saying:
"What we’re essentially doing is forcing sleep in a local region of the brain. While that part is solidifying memories and restoring learning capacity, other parts stay aware/vigilant and connected to environment," said corresponding author Chiara Cirelli, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Dolphins do something similar, sleeping with only one brain hemisphere at a time."
What's next:
Going forward, the researchers would like to see if their findings can be replicated in humans, but they do acknowledge the need to use a less invasive stimulation method.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the National Institutes of Health. This story was reported from Orlando.