Neuroscientists studying
the link between poor sleep and schizophrenia have found that irregular sleep
patterns and desynchronised brain activity during sleep could trigger some of
the disease's symptoms.
The possible link
between poor sleep and schizophrenia prompted the research team, led by
scientists from the University of Bristol, the Lilly Centre for Cognitive
Neuroscience and funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), to explore the
impact of irregular sleep patterns on the brain by recording electrical brain
activity in multiple brain regions during sleep.
For many people, sleep
deprivation can affect mood, concentration and stress levels. In extreme cases,
prolonged sleep deprivation can induce hallucinations, memory loss and
confusion all of which are also symptoms associated with schizophrenia.
Dr Ullrich Bartsch, one
of the study's researchers, said: "Sleep disturbances are well-documented
in the disease, though often regarded as side effects and poorly understood in
terms of their potential to actually trigger its symptoms."
Using a rat model of the
disease, the team's recordings showed desynchronisation of the waves of
activity which normally travel from the front to the back of the brain during
deep sleep. In particular the information flow between the hippocampus --
involved in memory formation, and the frontal cortex -- involved in
decision-making, appeared to be disrupted. The team's findings reported
distinct irregular sleep patterns very similar to those observed in
schizophrenia patients.
Dr Matt Jones, the lead
researcher from the University's School of Physiology and Pharmacology, added:
"Decoupling of brain regions involved in memory formation and
decision-making during wakefulness are already implicated in schizophrenia, but
decoupling during sleep provides a new mechanistic explanation for the
cognitive deficits observed in both the animal model and patients: sleep
disturbances might be a cause, not just a consequence of schizophrenia. In
fact, abnormal sleep patterns may trigger abnormal brain activity in a range of
conditions."
Cognitive deficits --
reduced short term memory and attention span, are typically resistant to
medication in patients. The findings from this study provide new angles for
neurocognitive therapy in schizophrenia and related psychiatric diseases.
Source:
The above story is
reprinted from materials provided
by University of Bristol, via EurekAlert!, a
service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further
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Journal Reference:
1. Keith G. Phillips, Ullrich Bartsch,
Andrew P. McCarthy, Dale M. Edgar, Mark D. Tricklebank,
Keith A. Wafford, Matt W. Jones. Decoupling of
Sleep-Dependent Cortical and Hippocampal Interactions in a Neurodevelopmental
Model of Schizophrenia. Neuron, 2012; 76 (3): 526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.09.016
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide
medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily
reflect those of Eagle Group or its staff.
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