Researchers from Stanford University in the United States have discovered the cause of sleep problems and disorders experienced by the elderly after they reach the age of sixty-five.
And the magazine “Science” indicates that experts were aware that with age, sleep becomes disturbed and worsens, but the mechanism causing this problem has not been studied, so the researchers chose two groups of mice: the age of the first group is 3-5 months, and the other is 18-22 months old. .
Next, they studied aroxine, which is the neuropeptides or chemicals responsible for transmitting wake and sleep commands in the brain. And it became clear to them that the mice of the second group lost about 38 percent of these peptides compared to the mice of the first group.
From these results, the researchers concluded that sleep problems in old age are caused by disruption of potassium channels, which are biological “switches” between wakefulness and sleep. Researchers also confirm that poor sleep can increase the risk of developing a variety of health problems, from high blood pressure to heart attacks, diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s disease.
Potassium channels are enzymes in cell membranes, of which there are 40 types in humans. These channels are dedicated to the passage of nerve ions through them, allowing cells to bind to the external medium. The disruption of the work of these channels leads to the death of neurons, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases. As for the deep understanding of the work of these channels, it is the basis for offering medical drugs that help in combating many and varied diseases.
The researchers hope that these results will help to devise more effective methods and drugs to treat insomnia in the future.