Study shows that sleep deprivation in mice can lead to reduced synapse diversity in the brain, impacting memory and learning functions.
Sleep deprivation in lab mice led to a reduction in synapse diversity in the brain, particularly in regions responsible for memory and learning.
A multi-disciplinary team compared the brains of mice deprived of sleep with those allowed normal sleep.
The researchers suspect that a slowdown of protein synthesis may play a role in the decrease in synaptic diversity.
Prior research has shown the importance of sleep for cognitive functioning, memory, and clear thinking in humans and animals.
The study, published in Current Biology, highlights the significant role sleep plays in preserving synapse diversity in the brain.
A recent study published in Current Biology found that sleep deprivation in lab mice can lead to a reduction in synapse diversity in the brain. The researchers compared the brains of mice that had normal amounts of sleep with those that were kept awake for an additional six hours. They found that the sleep-deprived mice had the same total number of synapses, but significantly less synaptic diversity, particularly in areas of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
Prior research has shown that sleep is crucial for humans and many other animals, but the exact reasons for this are still unclear. In this study, researchers interfered with the sleep of mice and then examined their brains, noticing a lack of diversity in synapses in sleep-deprived mice. This suggests that sleep plays a vital role in maintaining synapse diversity. The team was not able to determine the exact mechanisms causing this change, but they suspect that a slowdown in protein synthesis may be involved. This research sheds light on the importance of sleep for brain function and cognition.
