Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia diagnosed. (Photo: File)
California: A new study has found that deep sleep can help older people avoid memory loss.
According to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, deep sleep may act as a ‘cognitive reserve factor’ to increase resistance to the main cause behind neurological disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia diagnosed. It damages the memory pathways in the brain and can also interfere with people’s ability to function on a daily basis.
According to scientists, 11 out of every 100 people over the age of 65 are suffering from this disease. This rate is expected to increase as the ‘Baby Boomers’ age. The Baby Boomer generation includes those born between 1946 and 1964.
A protein called beta-amyloid has been linked to memory loss due to dementia, and previous studies have shown that sleep disturbances are linked to rapid accumulation of this molecule in the brain.
A reduction in the amount of deep sleep has also been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia in the future. But scientists have also shown that activities that sharpen a person’s mind, such as years of education or participation in community affairs, can improve a person’s resistance to severe forms of the disease.
Because education or social networks cannot be easily changed, researchers have identified other types of activities to keep the brain active.
In a study recently published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers found that in people who are at risk for dementia, more deep sleep may act as a protective factor against memory loss and dementia. can help avoid the dangerous consequences of
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