Last week a senior representative of the NFL first recognized the link between head injuries in professional football and degenerative brain disorder called chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This recognition — which has already been compared to the famous tobacco a statement in 1997 that Smoking causes cancer — appeared almost at the same time, when less severe traumatic brain injuries, including concussions, also began to suspect in connection with the above-mentioned disease. A new study conducted on rats, may one day help people suffering from neurological problems associated with the accumulation of unwanted proteins in the brain, including traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists do not yet understand the biological mechanisms underlying the negative effects of traumatic lesions of the brain — and therefore, effective treatment remains inaccessible thereof. The discussion raises the question of interaction with soft concussions: some doctors prescribe rest for a few weeks, others have argued that patients should remain active, as the passive will entail negative consequences.
Now it turns out that the truth is with the rest of the patients. In a study conducted on rats, the results of which were published last week in The Journal of Neuroscience, a team of scientists from the University hospital of Zurich found that the enhancement of slow-wave sleep cycle after a traumatic brain tramp (TBI) preserves brain function and minimizes damage to the axon, a long cylindrical processes of the nerve cells that send signals to other cells in the brain.
Previous studies have shown that TBI causes damage to the axons and the accumulation of neurotoxic molecular wastes that arise as a result of injury. In the new study, scientists studied two different ways to dive in slow-wave sleep — deepest stage of sleep characterized by low frequency and high amplitude waves. At this stage, the brain removes protein deposits, which has led scientists to question whether this may help in treatment of rats suffering from traumatic brain injury.
First, scientists had damaged the prefrontal cortex in rats 25. Then he divided animals into three groups. The first group was given sodium oxybate, a drug that is used to call slow-wave brain function in people suffering from narcolepsy. (The exact mechanism of action of this drug is unknown, but the prevailing hypothesis is that sodium oxybate improves daytime alertness, causing a deep sleep, when people are resting). The second group was restricted sleep, not allowing the rats to sleep for a long period of time. Previous studies have shown that after sleep deprivation slow-wave activity increases in the phase of “rapid eye movement” (REM). The third group received injections of a placebo.
The researchers used electroencephalography to record electrical brain activity to confirm that successfully increase NREM sleep in rats in the first two groups. They then evaluated the cognitive ability of rats by examining how they learn new objects, and found that both groups of rats treated with advanced procedures sleep, show the best results in the recognition of objects than rats that did not touch. Rats with deep sleep also showed less memory impairment.
The scientists then tested the cortex and the hippocampus damage, staining of the brains of rats with protein-the precursor of amyloid, a biomarker used for detection of axonal injuries. Rats, sleep was modulated, had significantly reduced levels of protein — almost 80% less when compared with the control group. The researchers concluded that immediate treatment of slow sleep using physiological and pharmacological techniques can help to preserve brain function and prevent neuronal damage in rats suffering from brain damage.
The results are promising, but first you need to answer a lot of questions before to use them in treating people. On the one hand, the definition of the underlying mechanism of these effects requires further research. “These results could have something to do with the increase of the metabolic clearance of the moravská, Ph. D. in neurology at the University College of Zurich and one of the authors of the study. Or prevent the further accumulation of these metabolites. More research is needed to unravel”.
Scientists plan to draw the line in the future study. They also collaborate with other agencies to find another non-surgical technique of improving slow wave sleep — which will not be affected by sleep deprivation or oxybate sodium. (This connection though and used without a prescription to treat a number of disorders, like cluster headaches, and fibromyalgia, is not used in patients with TBI, as it can cause a dreamlike state, during which the patient cannot be observed neurologically). It is important for scientists to confirm that slow-wave sleep in the first place, works on cleaning of the brain, including amyloid from.
The UZM Samadani, neurosurgeon from the Medical center Hennepin in Minneapolis, who did not participate in the study and takes a different approach to the study of the treatment of patients with a head injury, believes the Moravian interesting findings, but argues that we have to remain limited from a scientific point of view.
“This study is interesting, as support for the modulation of sleep may be important for the treatment of brain injury, she says. But I wouldn’t exaggerate the importance of the study. Often nanoissledovaniya in rodents are not transferred to the people.” These include the levels of metabolism and sleep in rats, and the distribution of slow and fast sleep — all this is different from human.
With this moravská agrees. “I would like to emphasize that this is not a cure, she says. — It is necessary to develop further methods for use in clinical practice.” Nevertheless, she hopes that her team will find new opportunities. Perhaps this study will stir up the interest of people to research in this area. Treatment slow sleep can be an effective and non-invasive.