Insomnia Treatment Linked to Prevention of Brain Damage in Alzheimer's Cases
Sleep Disorders and Their Impact on Health:
An estimated 70 million people worldwide grapple with sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea. These conditions can take a toll on one's mental and physical health.
Lack of sleep can significantly affect one's ability to focus and maintain a good mental state. Moreover, studies have shown a connection between sleep disorders and various health conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal issues, and even dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
David M. Holtzman, MD, of the Washington University School of Medicine, explains, "Poor sleep quality and sleep disorders often appear years before other symptoms of dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders become apparent." He goes on to say, "Research from our lab and others has shown that disrupted sleep elevates levels of both beta-amyloid and tau, which are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease."
Lemborexant: A potential solution for sleep and Alzheimer's:
A new study led by Holtzman has found promising results for a medication commonly used to treat insomnia – lemborexant. Sold under the brand name Dayvigo, lemborexant is a dual orexin receptor antagonist that works by blocking orexin – a protein in the brain that keeps us awake and alert.
By blocking the orexin signaling, the medication promotes natural sleep patterns, enabling the brain and body to rest as needed. This sleep-promoting effect is not limited to improving the quality of sleep – lemborexant could also potentially safeguard the brain from the buildup of the protein tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
How does lemborexant work against Alzheimer's-related tau buildup?
In the healthy brain, tau acts as a support system for cells and assists in transporting nutrients and signals. However, in Alzheimer's and tauopathies (a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal buildup of tau), this protein loses its shape and functionality, leading to the formation of toxic tau tangles that contribute to nerve cell death and cognitive symptoms.
Scientists used lemborexant to treat a model of mice that were genetically prone to accumulating tau in the brain. They found that treating the mice with lemborexant helped prevent the buildup of tau, reducing the inflammatory brain damage associated with tau buildup.
Additionally, the mice treated with lemborexant showed a 30-40% larger hippocampus volume compared to those not treated with the medication. A larger hippocampal volume in mice treated with lemborexant indicates reduced brain damage and cellular loss compared to untreated controls.
These findings are supported by previous research linking better sleep quality to improved cognitive health. For example, Gary Small, MD, of Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, has found that sleep quality is related to both objective measures of sustained attention and self-awareness of memory decline. He commented that the findings of the new study are consistent with previous research, stating, "[T]he Washington University team now sheds additional light on an underlying link between insomnia and cognitive impairment: accumulation of tau protein, particularly in brain regions controlling memory."
- Sleep disorders, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, are prevalent in an estimated 70 million people worldwide and are associated with various health conditions, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- David M. Holtzman, MD, from the Washington University School of Medicine, has researched the impact of sleep disorders on mental health, particularly in relation to Alzheimer's disease.
- A new study led by Holtzman has found promising results for lemborexant, a medication used to treat insomnia, in potentially safeguarding the brain from Alzheimer's disease.
- Lemborexant, sold under the brand name Dayvigo, promotes natural sleep patterns and, by blocking orexin, could potentially prevent the buildup of the protein tau, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
- Studies have shown a connection between better sleep quality and improved cognitive health, and the findings of the lemborexant study are consistent with these previous discoveries.
- In a study using a model of genetically predisposed mice, lemborexant was found to prevent the buildup of tau in the brain, reducing inflammatory brain damage associated with tau buildup and increasing the hippocampal volume of the treated mice by 30-40%.
