Insomnia affects brain volume

The journal Neurology published the results of a study on the effects of sleep on the brain. Scientists have concluded that regular sleep disturbances can lead to a decrease in brain volume with age.

The experiment involved 147 volunteers aged from 20 to 84 years. The researchers looked at the quality and duration of their sleep, as well as their difficulty falling asleep and waking up. During the experiment, the brain volume of the participants was measured twice with an interval of 3.5 years using MRI.

It turned out that 35% of volunteers with sleep problems experienced a decrease in brain volume. According to scientists, this atrophy mainly occurred after 60 years. Now they have to understand at what degree of sleep disturbance insomnia becomes a cause or a consequence of brain shrinkage.

Neuroscientists are convinced that sleep is critically important for the brain, although the specific mechanisms of its influence remain to be studied. One thing is clear - it is necessary to monitor the quality of sleep, especially with age, in order to avoid negative consequences for brain health.