Alzheimer’s, Poor Sleep Quality Linked in New Study
Although much of what causes and predicts Alzheimer’s disease is still a mystery, researchers who worked on a new study may have unlocked another bit of crucial information relating to what may precipitate the devastating disease.
The study looked at sleep patterns and likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and in the process, discovered a possible link between the illness and sleep quality. What researchers discovered is people who woke up five times an hour or more had higher concentrations of a certain plaque in the brain associated with eventual development of Alzheimer’s disease- known as amyloid plaque accumulations, the deposits are one of the characteristics of the condition.
One hundred adults classed as “mentally healthy,” between the ages of 45 and 80, were included in the study. Half of the subjects had a familial history of Alzheimer’s disease, and those with poorer quality of sleep were more likely to have amyloid plaque accumulations noted in diagnostics such as brain scans.
Dr. Yo-El Ju is one of the study’s authors and an assistant professor of neurology. Ju commented:
“We were initially looking at duration of sleep, but it seems the quality of sleep is more important to this association. We don’t know if early Alzheimer’s is causing poor sleep, or vice-versa… It’s possible that there’s some change in brain activity going on during sleep that allows soluble amyloid to decrease overnight, but we need to study this much more closely.”
The research will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in April, but has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
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Kim LaCapria Kim LaCapria is a writer and editor based in New York. A longtime information junkie, she began blogging full-time at the Inquisitr in 2009. Prior to that, she worked as a marketing assistant in the cosmetics and skincare industry. In addition to her writing for fortytwotimes, she also writes for Medacity and The Inquisitr. Kim is also a contributor for SocialNewsDaily, Indyposted, and TotallyMoney. In the past, she contributed to Lipstick and Luxury and managed social media accounts and blogs for several small and mid-sized businesses.
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