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Sleep, brain vascular health and ageing

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Abstract

Sleep maintains the function of the entire body through homeostasis. Chronic sleep deprivation (CSD) is a prime health concern in the modern world. Previous reports have shown that CSD has profound negative effects on brain vasculature at both the cellular and molecular levels, and that this is a major cause of cognitive dysfunction and early vascular ageing. However, correlations among sleep deprivation (SD), brain vascular changes and ageing have barely been looked into. This review attempts to correlate the alterations in the levels of major neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, adrenaline, GABA and glutamate) and signalling molecules (Sirt1, PGC1α, FOXO, P66shc, PARP1) in SD and changes in brain vasculature, cognitive dysfunction and early ageing. It also aims to connect SD-induced loss in the number of dendritic spines and their effects on alterations in synaptic plasticity, cognitive disabilities and early vascular ageing based on data available in scientific literature. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first article providing a pathophysiological basis to link SD to brain vascular ageing.

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Funding

AMM is thankful to JSS AHER, Mysuru, for providing the seed grant. GJG is supported by the NMHRC, the ARC and Macquarie University.

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Correspondence to Saravana Babu Chidambaram or Meena Kishore Sakharkar.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Mahalakshmi, A.M., Ray, B., Tuladhar, S. et al. Sleep, brain vascular health and ageing. GeroScience 42, 1257–1283 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-020-00235-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-020-00235-8

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