The Wave Sweeps Clean

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One of the functions of a “good night’s sleep” is that our brain becomes ready to handle what we throw at it the next day.

One of the key ways that happens is cleaning away the debris and accumulation, so that our brain cells don’t get damaged.  (It is also – perhaps- one of the ways the brain protects us against developing Alzheimer’s disease.)  We know that depriving a human of sleep creates an accumulation of toxic metabolic waste products in the brain, among them clumps of proteins (such as beta-amyloids).

We have a liquid material- CSF [cerebrospinal fluid] that irrigates our brain and spinal column.  This clear, colorless fluid, about 125 ml [about 4 ounces] in all, acts as a cushion providing mechanical and immunological protection to the brain.   And, that fluid is replaced about 4 times a day.  (In other words, we produce about 500 ml of CSF each day.)

Our brain cells act like a network- which is how the brain cells fire rhythmically.  During the days- they fire pretty quickly.  When we sleep- these firings become pretty slow.  These waves are crucial to our memory consolidation- storing the data we accumulated during the day. (This period is termed non-rapid eye movement sleep.)

Those folks afflicted by Alzheimer’s – and other neurodegenerative diseases- manifest slower brainwaves, plus they have decreased amplitude (less strong).

Similarly, waves of CSF flow in and out of our brains as we sleep- roughly 3 times a minute; the inward flow of CSF is announced by delta waves (slow waves of brain cell electrical activity).  The consolidation waves are associated with the CSF outflows from the brain. But, we don’t know if the CFS flows play a part in memory consolidation.

Drs. JH Ahn, Y Jeong, SH Suh, SH Kim, J-H Kim, S-H Park, and GY Koh of KAIST (Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), Drs. H Cho, SP Hong, I Park, and JH Song (Center for Vascular Research, Daejeon, Korea) and Y -K Hong (UCLA)   described the actions  of the meningeal lymphatic vessels (MLV) that seem to be how the CSF fluid moves about the brain, in their Nature publication.  The precise route for the CSF flow, however, wasn’t determined.

Up until very recently, no one recorded these waves of CSF flows while we sleep. But, amplifying the results of Ahn et. Al, Drs. Nina Fultz and Laura Lewis (Mass General and Boston University Biomedical Engineering) and Drs. G Bonmassar, K Setsompop. RA Stickgold, BR Rosen, and JR Polimeni of Harvard Med published their research results in Science.

Their data demonstrates that the CSF brain flush covers most of the brain- but omits the cerebellum and brain stem portions. The microtubule (ersatz lymphatic vessels) is the transport vehicle.  At the same time this CSF flow is being effected, blood flow is cut about 25%- seemingly to provide sufficient void volume for this CSF flow to occur.

Now, the trick will be to see if we can find a way to amplify the CSF flow.  That way one can be  flushing away those beta-amyloids before they coalesce into the structures associated with Alzheimer’s.

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10 thoughts on “The Wave Sweeps Clean”

  1. This is very interesting! My sleep was wrecked 13 years ago when perimenopause hit me. I’ve tried lots of different things and recently found a combination that works really well. It is nice to get some deep and long sleep again! I can tell a huge difference in how I feel…haven’t noticed any memory increases yet though (much needed!).
    Jyll Hoyrup recently posted..5 Lessons after 5-Years in Belize

  2. It would be great if a technique for preventing Alzheimers disease is found. It is an evil thing that steals the brains of its victims and leaves them without an identity or any understanding of who close friends ad family are. It is a painful process to watch.
    Alice Gerard recently posted..“I was loved and so I gave love”

  3. Hello there Roy
    I read this post with great interest.
    It is just about 12 months since I started on CPAP therapy for Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (SOSA). The condition was around for decades undiagnosed.
    My zero level of brain function lead me to consider whether I had early onset dementia etc. I am thrilled to say I am sleeping well every night.
    I would love to read more about these studies and how/whether SOSA fits into this area of research.

  4. My mom suffered with Alzheimer’s and it was so painful to watch her deteriorate. I sure hope a cure or prevention can be found.

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