Lack of sleep causes brain damage
02 Jan 2014
The two chemicals, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100 calcium
binding protein B (S-100B) are typically found in the brain. Fifteen
normal-weight men participated in the study in which they were
sleep-deprived for one night and compared to sleeping for
approximately 8 hours.
“We observed that a night of total
sleep loss was followed by increased blood concentrations of NSE and
S-100B. These brain molecules typically rise in blood under
conditions of brain damage. Thus, our results indicate that a lack
of sleep may promote neurodegenerative processes”, says sleep
researcher Christian Benedict at the Department of Neuroscience,
Uppsala University, who lead the study. “In conclusion, the
findings of our trial indicate that a good night’s sleep may be
critical for maintaining brain health”, says Christian Benedict.
Reference
Benedict C, et al. Acute sleep deprivation increases serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100 calcium binding protein B (S-100B) in healthy young men. SLEEP (in press).