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Glymphatic failure as a final common pathway to dementia
Failure of the brain’s waste clearance system as a common cause of dementia
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Abstract
Impaired sleep is a common trait of the diseased brain, particularly as individuals age.
- Sleep quality decreases with age, which may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases.
- Disruption of regular sleep patterns is frequently observed before the onset of dementia.
- The glymphatic system, responsible for clearing protein waste from the brain, is primarily active during sleep.
- Aging may lead to degradation of the glymphatic system, potentially linking sleep disturbances to disease progression.
- The relationship between sleep, aging, glymphatic clearance, and protein buildup could reveal new targets for therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.
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