A single night of sleep deprivation can cause changes in the brain, raising the risk of brain tissue damage, researchers have claimed.
Dr Christian Benedict of Uppsala University, Sweden, and colleagues investigated whether depriving people of sleep for one night can affect blood concentrations of two compounds. These are called neuron-specific enolase (NSE, an enzyme found in brain cells) and S100 calcium binding protein B (S-100B, a protein in brain cells).
The researchers explain that raised concentrations of these compounds in blood may indicate brain cell damage or impaired blood brain barrier function, or both.
Fifteen normal-weight healthy young men took part, and were either allowed eight hours of sleep at night-time, or were made to stay awake. Blood samples were taken in the evening and the following morning.
Those who had no slept showed significantly raised levels of both NSE and S-100B. These were both raised by about 20%, compared with levels from the same men tested after a night of sleep.
Dr Benedict said: "We observed that a night of total sleep loss was followed by increased blood concentrations of NSE and S-100B. These brain molecules typically rise in blood under conditions of brain damage. Thus, our results indicate that a lack of sleep may promote neurodegenerative processes.
"In conclusion, the findings of our trial indicate that a good night’s sleep may be critical for maintaining brain health."
Details of the study appear in the journal Sleep today (1 January). The authors conclude that future studies should investigate whether the rises are caused by neuronal damage, impaired blood brain barrier function, or increased gene expression in non-neuronal cells, such as leukocytes.
Benedict, C. et al. Acute sleep deprivation increases serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100 calcium binding protein B (S-100B) in healthy young men. Sleep Volume 37, issue 01, 1 January 2014, pp. 195-98.
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