The aggregation of intracellular tau proteins in neurofibrillary tangles in the brain is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), a progressive disorder that worsens multiple brain functions. There is increasing evidence indicating a possible link between sleep deprivation and AD. A recent study revealed that acute sleep loss lead to an evening to morning increase in the plasma level of tau proteins in healthy young individuals, possibly through impairing the clearance of such metabolite from the brain by the glymphatic system. It is also possible that prolonged wakefulness may increase neuronal activity, resulting in an increase in the production of tau proteins. These findings provided intriguing insights that sleep deprivation might deteriorate the health of the central nervous system even at a young age, leading to a predisposition to AD.

Keywords: tau proteins, Alzheimer’s disease, sleep

Reference

Benedict C, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Cedernaes J. Neurology. 2020;94:e1181-e1189.