A study published on Feb 28th in the journal Nature and reported on in Neuroscience News indicates that electrical brainwave activity plays a key role in flushing waste out of the brain during sleep. We have long known that during sleep, the brain clears out metabolic waste through a process called autophagy, but scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have found that neurons themselves help with this process.
Cerebrospinal fluid collects brain waste as it flows through the brain. Researchers found that neurons firing in coordinated, slow ways create waves that propel the movement of cerebrospinal fluid and therefore help with the cleansing process. It is believed that this process helps prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
You may read the Neuroscience News report on the study here. The study’s abstract is here, where you can also access the full study behind a pay wall.
To learn more about the importance of cleaning waste from the brain during sleep, you may find an open-access study, Impact of Sleep on Autophagy and Neurodegenerative Disease: Sleeping Your Mind Clear, here.