Alzheimer's & Parkinson's: Sleep detoxifies the brain

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Sleep disorders not only impair concentration, they can also be harmful to the brain in the long term. Because while a person is slumbering, the body's own "garbage disposal" normally removes harmful protein compounds in the brain. If this does not happen to a sufficient extent, they can accumulate - which is typical for diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

Sleep is vital. While the body is resting, the muscles regenerate, the brain stores what it has learned and the immune system works at full speed to fight off disease. It is not without reason that people oversleep around a third of their lives. In particular, restful slumber also keeps the brain healthy: "Good sleep increases the chances of staying mentally fit and healthy into old age," says neurologist and sleep specialist Professor Geert Mayer from the German Society for Neurology.

Good sleep keeps you mentally fit

Because recent studies show that good sleep can also protect against neurological aging diseases such as Parkinson's and possibly Alzheimer's. "Sleep is like a rinsing program for the brain, because breakdown substances are washed out during sleep," explains Mayer. "If you don't get a good night's sleep, waste from brain metabolism can accumulate in the nerve cells and cause damage."

Harmful protein deposits in the brain

For example, one possible consequence of a lack of sleep is that incorrectly folded alpha synuclein is not sufficiently removed from the central nervous system. The deformed protein is discussed as the cause of Parkinson's disease. It is typically deposited in the patient's brain, where it forms so-called Lewy bodies in the nerve cells. The further the disease progresses, the more of these harmful deposits are found in the thinking organ.

Similar mechanisms can also be observed in Alzheimer's disease: "Degradation substances that are characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, such as tau proteins or beta-amyloid, are also predominantly washed out of the brain during sleep," adds Mayer. If this is not the case, the plaques typical of Alzheimer's disease form, which increasingly damage the nerve cells.

Bad sleep warning sign

Conversely, sleep disorders can also be the first warning signals for so-called neurodegenerative diseases. Research has shown a long time ago that people who wake up more often at night are more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Such sleep disorders are associated with the increased formation of amyloid plaques in the brain, US researchers have found.

People with a high risk of Parkinson's disease, on the other hand, often develop what is known as REM sleep behavior disorder. The muscle paralysis that normally prevents you from injuring yourself while you sleep does not work for them. People with REM sleep behavior disorder are noticeably physically active during this sleep phase: "They often have aggressive dreams and kick and kick around, often injuring themselves or their bed partners," reports Mayer They also accumulate protein deposits - in this case alpha-synuclein. About 90 percent of those affected develop Parkinson's disease within a few years.

Clarification in the sleep laboratory

Anyone who regularly suffers from insomnia should have them examined and treated if necessary. The sleep doctor says: "Not everyone who has the feeling that they are sleeping poorly suffers from a sleep disorder that requires treatment." But daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep that lasts longer than three months, very restless sleep, nocturnal breathing pauses and other noticeable phenomena should be taken seriously.

The first point of contact can then be the family doctor, who will refer the patient to a neurological sleep laboratory. For an exact diagnosis, the patient spends the night there while his vital functions are observed, an EEG is recorded and sleep is monitored via video camera.

Common age-related diseases

The likelihood of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease increases with age. According to the German Alzheimer's Society, almost 1.6 million people with dementia currently live in Germany, two thirds of whom suffer from Alzheimer's. It is estimated that around 300,000 people in Germany are affected by Parkinson's disease. Experts anticipate that these diseases will continue to increase as the population ages.

Source:

Press release of the German Society for Neurology, German Society for Neurology e.V., 09/21/2016

Yo-El S. Ju et al .: Sleep and Alzheimer's disease pathology — a bidirectional relationship, Nat Rev Neurol. 2014 Feb; 10: 115-119. Published online 2013 Dec 24. doi: 10.1038 / nrneurol.2013.269

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