If during the night you just thought you were resting, know that your brain never stops working. In fact, he takes advantage of this moment to “self-clean” by getting rid of all the metabolic waste produced by brain cells to function, thanks to a liquid called glymph, as explained in a previous interview with Current wife the neurobiologist, Joëlle Adrien.
A study from the University of Washington (United States), published on February 28 in the journal Naturelooked at the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in sleeping mice in order to observe the process of cleansing toxic substances during sleep. Indeed, “it is essential for the brain to eliminate metabolic waste that can accumulate and contribute to neurodegenerative diseases“, recalled Jonathan Kipnis, one of the authors of the study, in a press release. “We knew that sleep is a time when the brain initiates a cleansing process to remove waste and toxins accumulated during wakefulness, but we didn’t know how it happens“, he added.
Sleep: neurons act as pumps to eliminate toxic fluids from the brain
Researchers observed that individual nerve cells could coordinate to produce rhythmic waves, which propel the liquid containing the waste through the brain tissue, which carries out its washing. “These neurons are miniature pumps and the synchronized neuronal activity powers the circulation of fluids and the removal of debris from the brain“, explains Li-Feng Jiang-Xie, another author of this work.
To better image this phenomenon, scientists add thatit is similar to that of disheswith multi-level brain cleansing, characterized by brain waves of different height and amplitude: “Despite the varying amplitude and rhythm of hand movements, the main goal remains the same: to remove different types of waste from dishes, and perhaps the brain adapts its cleaning method depending on the type and the quantity of waste“.
Brain cleaning at night: an understanding of the process that could help prevent neurodegenerative diseases
“One of the reasons we sleep is to clean the brain“, declared Jonathan Kipnis. A regular and sufficient sleep pattern is therefore essential to stay healthy. Indeed, healthy sleep prevents certain chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular diseases, promotes memory and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, as reminded by Current wife Joëlle Adrien. “If we can build on this process, it is possible to delay or even prevent neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease And Parkinson’s diseasein which excess waste accumulates in the brain and leads to neurodegeneration”, concluded Li-Feng Jiang-Xie.
Source :
- Neuronal dynamics direct cerebrospinal fluid perfusion and brain clearance – Nature – February 28, 2023
- Neurons help flush waste out of brain during sleep – Washington University in Saint Louis – February 28, 2024