r/science • u/Wagamaga • Oct 08 '24

Neuroscience Brain’s waste-clearance pathways revealed for the first time. Wastes include proteins such as amyloid and tau, which have been shown to form clumps and tangles in brain images of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

https://news.ohsu.edu/2024/10/07/brains-waste-clearance-pathways-revealed-for-the-first-time
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u/73Rose Oct 08 '24

so how is it activated/inhibited?

54

u/riptaway Oct 08 '24

I think sleep, or lack thereof, will end up being crucial. It seems to be the way the brain "cleans" itself. As someone who used to suffer from pretty bad insomnia, the cognitive decline I felt after just one or two missed nights of sleep was profound.

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u/PlentyOfMoxie Oct 08 '24

Sleep + Hydration

6

u/SatansFriendlyCat Oct 08 '24

= Nocturnal Enuresis (and a lovely clean brain with which to fully appreciate your pissy bed).

By all means have them both, but time them right!

1

u/deadlybydsgn Oct 08 '24

Well at least I've got half of the equation going for me. It's hard to do much about the sleep half when you've got younger kids.