Catching ZZZs: New findings link sleep's brain-resetting role to potential neurodegenerative disease treatments
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have found that sleep serves a critical function in 'resetting' neural networks to maintain optimal cognitive performance. This discovery of sleep's role in restoring brain criticality offers new avenues for understanding and treating neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Why it matters
Understanding the biological mechanism of sleep as a 'reboot' for the brain provides a foundational basis for developing new therapies for cognitive decline.
by Talia Ogliore, Washington University in St. Louis
edited by Swati Mestri , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Credit: Keith Hengen "Sleep is one of the great mysteries in biology," says Keith Hengen, associate professor of biology in Arts & Sciences.
Hengen's research focuses on understanding how sleep contributes to healthy cognition and how disrupted sleep worsens neurodegenerative and mental health disorders, like Alzheimer's disease and depression.
In 2024, Hengen and Ralf Wessel, professor of physics in Arts & Sciences, published a paper reporting the first direct evidence that sleep restores the computational power of the brain. They discovered that sleep has a fundamental purpose: resetting neural networks by restoring criticality, a state that promotes optimal thinking and learning.
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