Alzheimer’s sufferers are drowsy because of the loss of neurons and not from lack of sleep
According to a new study, the lethargy of many Alzheimer’s sufferers is not due to lack of sleep but is instead caused by degeneration of the type of neuron responsible for keeping us awake. The tau protein was also confirmed as the cause of this neurodegeneration.
The findings of the study contradict the popular notion that Alzheimer’s sufferers sleep during the day in order to compensate for a poor night’s sleep. They also point to potential therapies that could help these patients to feel more awake.
The study data was collected from participants at the Memory and Aging Center of UC San Francisco who volunteered to monitor their sleep with an electroencephalogram and donate their brains when they died.
Source:
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-loss-neurons-lack-alzheimer-patients.html
