Researchers in Scotland are trying to unravel the complex relationship between sleep, dementia, and the brain's immune cells in a new study into Alzheimer's disease. The 18-month pilot project, funded by a £70,000 investment from Alzheimer's Research UK, will be carried out at Strathclyde University. Dr Shuzo Sakata, an expert in brain function and pathology, will lead the project looking to better understand the link between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, in the hope of finding new ways to prevent the disease.
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Microglia protect the brain by removing debris, which includes the harmful protein amyloid which builds up in Alzheimer’s disease. During sleep, microglia in a healthy brain extend their arms and increase their levels of calcium. When there is a lack of sleep, however, the microglia shrink their arms and become a rounded, amoeba-like shape.
How amyloid is linked to these changes in calcium is unknown. Dr Sakata hopes that the research will eventually extend to st.
