A study published in Science has found that levels of amyloid beta, a protein fragment associated with Alzheimers disease, rose and fell in association with sleep and wakefulness in mice.

It is interesting that there may be a link between sleep and the build up of the protein associated with the development of Alzheimers disease. However, there are many other biological factors that may have an impact on the proteins production, so further research in this area would be needed.

Dementia research is desperately underfunded, with the government investing eight times less in dementia research than cancer research. One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years. We must act now.

Professor Clive Ballard
Director of Research
Alzheimers Society

JaeEun Kang, Miranda M. Lim, Randall J. Bateman et al, Amyloidbeta dynamics are regulated by Orexin and the SleepWake Cycle, 24 September 2009