Have you ever wanted to stay awake for a longer time without feeling weak and unhealthy?
It might be possible - a new study found that some specific brain cells can help you stay awake for a long time without having negative effects on your health.
Let's find out more!
A study on brain cells and sleep
New research on mice published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that astrocytes, lesser-known brain cells, play a significant role in regulating sleep need.
These findings could potentially lead to interventions that allow humans to stay awake longer without the usual negative effects of sleep deprivation, like mental fatigue and impaired physical health.
The study revealed that activating astrocytes in mice kept them awake for extended periods without increasing sleepiness.
Why is it helpful?
This discovery opens the door to possible future interventions targeting astrocytes to mitigate the consequences of prolonged wakefulness.
These interventions could benefit individuals like shift workers, first responders, and military personnel.
The study focused on astrocytes in the basal forebrain, a region known to influence sleep and wakefulness, using chemogenetics to activate these cells.
The researchers plan to further investigate the impact of activating astrocytes on other processes, such as attention, cognition, memory, and metabolism.
