Alzheimer's Disease: Potential Preventive Role of Common Insomnia Medication in Brain Damage
As many as 70 million individuals worldwide grapple with sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea. Lack of sleep can significantly impact a person's cognitive abilities and mental health. Research suggests that sleep disorders may lead to numerous health issues, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal problems, and even Alzheimer's disease.
In a groundbreaking study, researchers discovered that a medication commonly used to treat insomnia not only improves sleep quality but also safeguards the brain from tau protein buildup, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Dr. David M. Holtzman, the study's senior author, explained that, "research from our lab and others has shown that disrupted sleep elevates levels of both tau and beta-amyloid, which are harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease."
The sleep medication in question, lemborexant, belongs to a class of drugs called dual orexin receptor antagonists. When used to treat a model of genetically predisposed mice, lemborexant prevented tau buildup and reduced inflammatory brain damage. This outstanding find came as a result of the treatment's ability to block orexin, a protein that keeps us awake and alert, allowing the brain and body to rest effectively.
Lemborexant's impact on tau buildup can be explained by its targeted action against orexin receptors. By doing so, the drug restores healthier sleep patterns, mitigating the neurodegenerative effects linked to tau buildup. Moreover, the treatment was found to protect the hippocampus, a region crucial for memory, from damage indicative of neurodegeneration.
Relatedly, Dr. Gary Small, Chair of Psychiatry at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, highlighted that the findings from the new study align with previous research linking restful sleep with better cognitive health. According to Small, "[t]his study is encouraging, as it sheds light on the underlying link between insomnia and cognitive impairment: accumulation of tau protein, particularly in brain regions controlling memory."
Despite the promising results, cautious optimism is required, as findings in animal models must be confirmed through clinical trials to establish safety and effectiveness in human subjects. Nevertheless, if the preliminary results hold true, lemborexant could potentially significantly reduce the burden of Alzheimer's disease and chronic insomnia.
- The study found that a medication used to treat insomnia, lemborexant, can not only improve sleep quality but also protect the brain from tau protein buildup, a key factor in Alzheimer's disease.
- Tau protein buildup is associated with Alzheimer's disease, and research, including that from the study, has shown that disrupted sleep can elevate these harmful proteins in the brain.
- Lemborexant is a drug that belongs to the class of dual orexin receptor antagonists, and it prevents tau buildup and reduces inflammatory brain damage when used to treat genetically predisposed mice.
- The treatment's ability to block orexin, a protein that keeps us awake, allows the brain and body to rest effectively, which restores healthier sleep patterns and mitigates the neurodegenerative effects linked to tau buildup.
- The findings from the new study suggest a link between better cognitive health and restful sleep, as accumulation of tau protein, particularly in brain regions controlling memory, has been linked to insomnia and cognitive impairment.
