Sleep may not be the most effective way to eliminate toxins present in the brain, according to a new British study.
- British scientists have suggested that sleep does not help rid the brain of toxins accumulated during the day.
- After injecting a dye, the researchers observed how quickly the fluid moved through different regions of the brain.
- Dye clearance was reduced by approximately 30% in sleeping mice and 50% in anesthetized mice, compared to mice kept awake.
Like all organs, the brain produces toxins that it must then eliminate. Sleep has long been considered the procedure that allows the brain to get rid of waste accumulated during the day. According to researchers at the British Institute for Dementia Research at Imperial College London (UK), However, this hypothesis would not be accurate.
Lower dye removal rate in sleeping mice
To replicate the release of toxins, the scientists used a fluorescent dye and observed how quickly it moved through different regions of the mouse brain. They then measured the rate of dye removal. According to the results, dye clearance was reduced by approximately 30% in sleeping mice and 50% in anesthetized rodents, compared to subjects kept awake.
“The field has focused so much on the idea of clearance [ndlr la capacité d’un organe à éliminer une substance] as one of the main reasons we sleep, that we were very surprised to observe the opposite in our results. We found that the rate of dye removal from the brain was significantly reduced in animals that were asleep or under anesthesia.”said Professor Nick Franks, co-leader of the study and professor of biophysics and anesthesia at Imperial College London.
However, more research is needed to understand how sleep slows the elimination of toxins.
Physical activity, an effective way to evacuate toxins from the brain
As the researchers indicated, this work published in the journal Nature Neurosciencealso showed that the elimination of toxins present in the brain works very well during the waking state. “In general, being awake, active, and exercising can help cleanse the brain of toxins more effectively.”noted Professor Bill Wisden, co-leader of the study and interim director of the British Institute for Dementia Research at Imperial College London.