Thanks to experiments on the brain Of male micewas rebuilt The cerebral circuit with which it stress disturbs sleep And weaken there memory: It is known, in fact, that stress interferes with the ability to fall asleep, to maintain a deep sleep and to consolidate memories. The results, published in the Journal of Neuroscience by the research group led by the University of Pennsylvania, can open the way to studies aimed at counteracting the negative effects of stress and associated disorders, at least in men.
Researchers coordinated by Shinjae Chung have artificially activated mice neurons located in paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, an area of the brain that responds to a variety of stressful stimuli and that controls different functions such as sleep and appetite. They have so observed that activation of these neurons leads animals to sleep less and compromise their mnemonic skills. Instead, when the mice underwent real stress conditions, block artificially thisarea allowed to Reduce memory problems and to slightly improve the quality of sleep.
Also broadening their investigation to other brain areas, the authors of the study have discovered that the activation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus also involves another part called lateral hypothalamus: this plays a fundamental role, among other things, in the power control and in the behavior linked to the reward, but Also regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The researchers were able to connect the two circuits together, shedding light on the path at the basis of the deleterious effects of stress on the body.
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