Photobiomodulation in sleep has more therapeutic effects for Alzheimer’s disease than in wakefulness

It’s well-known that sleep is the most effective medication. Nevertheless, it continues to be unknown why the brain recovers higher in sleep and whether these processes might be controlled. Recent discoveries have shown that the lymphatic system of the brain is activated during sleep, which contributes to the removal of metabolites, toxins and unnecessary molecules from its tissues. Sleep disturbance contributes to the deposition of metabolites within the central nervous system (CNS). For instance, sleep is a biomarker for the event of Alzheimer’s disease. That is as a result of the indisputable fact that the toxic metabolite beta-amyloid is excreted from brain tissue during sleep. Sleep deprivation results in the buildup of toxin within the CNS, which over time can result in the event of Alzheimer’s disease.

On this pilot study, the researchers have shown that non-invasive sleep photobiomodulation technology can effectively increase lymphatic excretion of beta-amyloid from the brain tissues of mice with Alzheimer’s disease. At the identical time, photobiomodulation in sleep has more significant therapeutic effects than in wakefulness. Photobiomodulation during sleep turns the brain right into a washer, helping to cleanse its tissues of toxic beta-amyloid and increase resistance to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The work entitled “Mechanisms of phototherapy of Alzheimer’s disease during sleep and wakefulness: the role of the meningeal lymphatics” was published on Frontiers of Optoelectronics (published on Sep. 18, 2023).