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Brain washing machine: Light-therapy cleanses Alzheimer-causing toxins during sleep

From Higher Education Press 28/09/23

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It is well known that sleep is the best medication.

However, it is still unknown why the brain recovers better in sleep and whether these processes can be controlled.

Recent discoveries have shown that the lymphatic system of the brain is activated during sleep, which contributes to the removal of metabolites, toxins and unnecessary molecules from its tissues.

Sleep disturbance contributes to the deposition of metabolites in the central nervous system (CNS).

Photobiomodulation of brain cleansing of beta-amyloid during sleep. Credit: Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya Oxana

For example, sleep is a biomarker for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

This is due to the fact that the toxic metabolite beta-amyloid is excreted from brain tissue during sleep.

Preparations of mice for the experiments and the analysis of presence of FAβ [Fluorescent beta-amyloid: Alzheimer-causing toxin] in the hippocampus: a View of the mouse before the experiments; b implantation of chronic polyethylene catheters into the right lateral ventricle for the injection of fluorescent Aβ and c in the femoral vein for the Evans Blue dye injection; d implantation of the EEG electrodes into the cortex; e fixation of head plate with LED; f representative image of brain slice with selected region of interest (SROI, place of Aβ injection) in the hippocampus; g representative images of spreading of FAβ in the hippocampus through the entire depth (50 µm) of one slice. Credit: Frontiers of Optoelectronics

Sleep deprivation leads to the accumulation of toxin in the CNS, which over time can lead to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

In this pilot study, the researchers have shown that non-invasive sleep photobiomodulation technology can effectively increase lymphatic excretion of beta-amyloid from the brain tissues of mice with Alzheimer’s disease.

Illustration of SROIs [Selected Region of Interest] for the statistical analysis of the FAβ [Fluorescent beta-amyloid: Alzheimer-causing toxin] presence in the meninges (a) and in the hippocampus (b) Credit: Frontiers of Optoelectronics

At the same time, photobiomodulation in sleep has more significant therapeutic effects than in wakefulness.

Photobiomodulation during sleep turns the brain into a washing machine, helping to cleanse its tissues of toxic beta-amyloid and increase resistance to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

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