Can Restoring Sleep Help Slow Alzheimer's Disease? New…

Can Restoring Sleep Help Slow Alzheimer's Disease? New Study Points to Brain Immune Cells Sleep disturbances are among the earliest and most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. For years, scientists believed these problems were primarily caused by the buildup of amyloid plaques or damage to brain cells. A new study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia suggests another key player may be involved: the brain's immune cells, known as microglia. Researchers found that reducing the activity of these cells restored more than two hours of sleep per day in mice with Alzheimer's-like disease, even though amyloid plaques remained unchanged. Researchers at the University of Kentucky studied mice genetically predisposed to develop amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. They monitored sleep using electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) to accurately measure different sleep stages. The study found that: Overactive microglia were strongly associated with disrupted sleep. Temporaril