Detecting the mechanism of brain activity after sleep

American scientists at Washington State University have just discovered the mechanism by which the brain moves from alert to dormant.

This finding, published in the journal Applied Physiology in September, paved the way for other discoveries, from sleep support to stroke treatment or other brain damage.

Dr. James Krueger, a neuroscientist and chair of the study, said: " We know that brain activity is linked to sleep , but we do not know how. This mechanism opens the door to a better understanding of sleep progress and possible goals for drugs and effective therapies for sleep disorder symptoms . "

In his experiment, Mr Krueger and colleagues studied the mechanism of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) levels produced by active brain cells, which act to activate molecular events that lead to sleep. sleep.

By charting the link between ATP and sleep regulators, scientists have discovered how the brain monitors activities and moves from awake to sleep.

For example, learning and memory depend on the relationship between brain cells. Research shows that ATP is the signal behind these changes.

Currently, about 50-70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Estimating the cost of damage to businesses such as reduced labor productivity caused by sleep disorders is about $ 150 billion / year, while car accidents due to driver fatigue due to related sleep causes $ 48 billion a year.