Posted on 10/17/2013 10:36:57 PM PDT by TexGrill
WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Scientists said Thursday they have found what could be sleep's basic purpose: it clears the brain of toxic metabolic byproducts.
The findings, published in the U.S. journal Science, revealed that the brain's unique method of waste removal, dubbed the glymphatic system, is highly active during sleep, clearing away toxins responsible for Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders.
Researchers from the University of Rochester, New York, also found that during sleep the brain's cells reduce in size, allowing waste to be removed more effectively.
"This study shows that the brain has different functional states when asleep and when awake," said Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior author of the study.
The purpose of sleep is a question that has captivated both philosophers and scientists since the time of the ancient Greeks. While recent findings have shown that sleep can help store and consolidate memories, these benefits do not appear to outweigh the accompanying vulnerability, leading scientists to speculate that there must be a more essential function to the sleep-wake cycle.
The new findings hinged on the discovery last year by Nedergaard and her colleagues of the glymphatic system, a previously unknown system of waste removal that is unique to the brain.
The system acts like a plumbing system that piggybacks on the brain's blood vessels and pumps cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) through the brain's tissue, flushing waste back into the circulatory system where it eventually makes its way to the general blood circulation system and, ultimately, the liver, the researchers said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.xinhuanet.com ...
Obama must never sleep.
Does any political leader actually “sleep like a baby?” You know, without “tooting brandy immodestly” given all of the hate and discontent swirling about them?
Well urine accumulates during those hours. I am not surprised to know that sleep gets rid of toxins in the brain as I tend to be more alert after a good night’s rest.
So thats whats wrong with me. I get about 4 hours a night if I’m lucky. Brain doesn’t have time to dump it’s toxins
I wonder if pot upsets the brain’s waste removal system causing faster aging of the brain and catastrophic brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and brain cancers? Naw! People don’t want to hear that question.
Brainwashing!
Oh heck no, we just need to make sure he gets a booster tablespoon of DrainO every night when he goes to bed.
You also need deep sleep to allow the body to be at true rest and the body allows the pancreas to adjust the sugar level for bodily repairs. Some studies link lack of sleep to making the body prone to diabetes.
My cat must be the smartest creature on the planet!
>> since the time of the ancient Greeks.
Never any respect for the predecessors.
The connection to Alzheimer’s and sleep is interesting. Maybe the build up of amyloid is what brings on Sundowner Syndrome. By morning, it’s been cleaned out of the brain through sleep. Or did they already know that?
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