A study in mice reveals why lack of sleep in young children disrupts their brain development, increasing the risk of disorders like autism.
- A new study finds that lack of sleep in young children could disrupt brain development and increase the risk of disorders like autism.
- By observing mice, researchers found that sleep deprivation affects the formation of synapses, essential for learning and memory, and that young mice do not compensate for sleep loss like adults.
- These discoveries pave the way for treatments targeting synapses to preserve the health of the developing brain, a promising avenue for treating neurodevelopmental disorders.
Lack of sleep is well known for its detrimental effects on mental and physical health, including increasing the risk of dementia and weakening the immune system. But why is this vital need for sleep so crucial, particularly during the first years of life? A new study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesgives us some answers.
Sleep, key to brain development
From birth, the brain is built: neurons establish essential connections for memory, attention and learning. However, this process requires quality sleep so that the synapses, these connection points between neurons, develop correctly. If this development is disrupted by frequent awakenings or unstable sleep, lasting negative effects can occur in behavior and brain function.
However, the new study, carried out by researchers at the University of North Carolina (United States), shows how lack of sleep in early childhood could increase the risk of disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). . By conducting experiments on young mice genetically vulnerable to ASD, they discovered that sleep deprivation leads to long-term social difficulties. Even more surprising, while adult mice compensate for lack of sleep by sleeping more afterwards, younger mice do not have this ability to “catch up on sleep”, which makes their brains even more sensitive.
“Our results show that babies and children are more vulnerable to the negative effects of sleep disruption,” summarizes a press release.
Lack of sleep disrupts synapse formation
In detail, thanks to more in-depth molecular analyses, the researchers observed that lack of sleep significantly disrupts the formation of synapses – a key mechanism of brain development – in young mice, but not in adults. This could explain why neurodevelopmental disorders like ASD are often associated with sleep problems.
Researchers now hope to develop new treatments that directly target synapses, to restore sleep function rather than modify sleep behavior itself. “Brain development is a unique process, we cannot catch up with it”remind the scientists, thus emphasizing the importance of quality sleep to prevent long-term disorders.
