Suffering From Alzheimer's? Sleep Apnea May Be the Cause

Amyloid beta protein and tau protein are both created in small amounts in the healthy brain, being the byproduct of interactions between the neurons. But during the deep NREM sleep, they are removed from the brain. But if due to some reasons the sleep is disturbed, they may accumulate in the brain cells, leading to a cascade of effects that cause proteinopathies, and as a result, the death of neurons. Accumulation of amyloid beta proteins and tau proteins in Alzheimer’s was demonstrated in the 1990's, and since has been accepted as one of the primary mechanisms behind the neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s.