People who sleep better, learn better. Here's the latest evidence to that effect.
"Prolonged sleep deprivation is stressful and has been associated with adverse consequences for health and cognitive performance," observe the authors of a new study entitled "Sleep deprivation inhibits adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus by elevating glucocorticoids."
The new findings indicate that that sleep deprivation in adults, and the resulting secretion of the stress hormone corticosterone, inhibits the proliferation of neurons in the hippocampus thought to be associated with memory and spatial navigation. Moreover, experimentally stopping the flow of corticosterone prevents the effect.
"The recovery of normal levels of adult neurogenesis after chronic sleep deprivation occurs over a 2-wk period and involves a temporary increase in new neuron formation," the authors found.
See also: Sleep Restriction Suppresses Neurogenesis Induced by Hippocampus-Dependent Learning
Comments