- Amidst the rising global prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease, linked to increasing life expectancies, finding effective treatments has never been more critical, especially given the current lack of efficacious drug-based solutions.
- New research reveals that photobiomodulation (PBM), a nonpharmacological approach, has demonstrated promising initial results in both human and animal studies, particularly when applied during sleep, acting like a ‘washing machine’ for the brain to enhance the removal of harmful beta-amyloid proteins.
- These discoveries not only shed light on the potential of PBM and the underlying restorative functions of sleep but also pave the way for the development of innovative technologies aiming to leverage sleep for Alzheimer’s disease therapy.
Adequate sleep is essential for good health, but the reasons why the brain heals more effectively during sleep and whether these processes can be influenced is still unclear.
Disrupted sleep can lead to a build-up of these waste products in the central nervous system (CNS), and consequently, sleep has been identified as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.
This relationship is attributed to the fact that the harmful metabolite beta-amyloid is expelled from the brain during sleep.
Lack of sleep results in the accumulation of this toxin in the CNS, potentially contributing to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease over time.
In a new study published in Frontiers of Optoelectronics, researchers demonstrated that a noninvasive technology called sleep photobiomodulation (PBM) could effectively enhance the removal of beta-amyloid from the brain tissues of mice.
Notably, the therapeutic impact of PBM was found to be more pronounced during sleep than when awake.
Applying PBM while sleeping essentially turns the brain into a “washing…
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