New study reveals which part of the brain can influence sleep. Recent research shows that sleep can promote and stimulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid into the brain, which literally removes metabolic waste.. In experimental animals, this process is facilitated by water channels called AQP4.; they form permeable pores through the cell membranes of brain cells called astrocytes. The role of these water channels in the human brain and their relationship to the regulation of deep irregular sleep, also called non-REM sleep, has not yet been studied..

The total set of genetic variants that are inherited together is called a haplotype.. One such haplotype (containing eight distinct DNA variants) has previously been shown to modulate AQP4 levels.. After carefully studying more than 100 healthy people, the authors found that the depth of non-REM sleep, which can be measured by analyzing brain waves recorded during sleep, differs between carriers of this haplotype and the control group.. The difference was most pronounced at the beginning of the night, when our need for sleep is highest.. Interestingly, the two haplotype groups also coped differently when they were awake for two full days, suggesting that changes in fluid flow through AQP4 water channels may change how we deal with sleep loss, according to. net Since genetic variants within the AQP4 haplotype have also been previously associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease, the results of this study may suggest that sleep-induced fluid exchange through AQP4 water channels may be associated with the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Further research is needed to explore a possible link between Alzheimer's disease and AQP4 water channels.. “A more immediate consequence of our results,” the authors note, “is to improve our understanding of the importance of sleep.”. In other words, this is the first study to show that water genetics AQP4 channels affect the intensity of deep sleep and how we deal with sleep loss.. These data support the current theory that sleep may be involved in the regulation of "

medical-heal. en.