Sleep deprivation and dementia
Published 28 September 2009
A study published in Science has found that levels of amyloid beta, a protein fragment associated with Alzheimers disease, rose and fell in association with sleep and wakefulness in mice.
'It is interesting that there may be a link between sleep and the build up of the protein associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. However, there are many other biological factors that may have an impact on the protein's production, so further research in this area would be needed.
Dementia research is desperately underfunded, with the government investing eight times less in dementia research than cancer research. One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years. We must act now.'
Professor Clive Ballard
Director of Research
Alzheimer's Society
