From Newsgroup: sci.misc

Sleep deprived brains clean themselves while awake

Anyone who has ever struggled through the day following a poor night's
sleep has had to wrench their attention back to the task at hand after
their mind drifted off unexpectedly.

Now, researchers have pinpointed exactly what causes these momentary
failures of attention.

The new study in Nature Neuroscience found that the brains of
sleep-deprived people initiate waves of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the
liquid which cushions the brain, which dramatically impaired
attention.

This process usually happens during sleep. The rhythmic flow of CSF
into and out of the brain carries away protein waste which has built
up over the course of the day.

When this is maintenance interrupted due to lack of sleep, it seems
the brain attempts to play catch up during its waking hours.
...
...
Predictably, sleep-deprived participants performed much worse on these
tasks, with slower response times and, at times, a complete failure to
register any change happening at all.

https://connectsci.au/news/news-parent/6974/Sleep-deprived-brains-clean-themselves-while-awake



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