Poor sleep quality correlates with a decrease in brain volume, especially in people over 60, reports the journal Neurology.
Researchers at the University of Oxford (UK) have observed that people who experience sleep problems experience a loss of brain volume.
147 adults aged 20 to 84 years were invited to take part in the project, and they had undergone two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain examinations. Both studies were separated by an average interval of 3,5 years, and after the study, the subjects completed a questionnaire on sleep habits.
It was found that 35 percent. among the study participants met the criteria for low-quality sleep. The respondents complained, inter alia, Difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking up at night and too little sleep. They also admitted to using sleeping pills.
Researchers found that sleep problems correlated with a faster reduction in brain volume. The largest defects were in the frontal, temporal and parietal areas, and the most visible were in people over 60 years of age.
It is not yet known whether poor sleep quality is a cause or a consequence of changes in the structure of the brain. There are effective treatments for sleep problems, so future research should investigate whether improving sleep quality is associated with slowing brain volume loss. If so, improving sleep habits could prove to be an important way to improve brain health, says Claire E. Sexton, co-author of the study. (PAP)