The boundary between wakefulness and sleep in the brain may be much more blurred than previously thought. New research has revealed that neurons can indulge in micro-naps lasting just a few milliseconds even when the rest of the brain is awake. This surprising, previously undetected behavior was discovered by a study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience and conducted by the University of California at Santa Cruz and Washington University at Saint Louis.
Neurons and Micro-naps: A Surprising Discovery
THE researchers have studied the brains of mice using electrodes implanted in 10 different brain regions. Thanks to this technique, they discovered microscopic flickers in neuron activitylasting from 10 to 100 milliseconds. These micro-naps may also occur in the human brain, suggesting that the boundary between wakefulness and sleep is less clear than previously thought.
It is known that some animals, such as dolphins, seals and birds, can rest half of their brains while leaving the other half active. This behavior, which sometimes involves literally sleeping with one eye open, serves to avoid being surprised by predators. Humans can also show asymmetrical sleep patterns for short periods, but to a much lesser extent.
Wakefulness and Sleep: The Importance of Discovery
Starting from these observations, the researchers led by David Parks of the University from the California and Aidan Schneider of Washington University studied nine mice to better understand the distinction between wakefulness and sleep. Using an artificial intelligence-based method to analyze the collected data, the study authors were able to identify micro-naps in neurons.
They observed that these very brief blackouts coincide with those fractions of a second in which the animals stop moving. “We were able to observe the individual moments in which these neurons reactivated,” Schneider comments, “and it was pretty clear that they were transitioning into a different state than they were in immediately before.”
This discovery opens new perspectives on the understanding of the brain and its states of wakefulness and sleep. If micro-naps of neurons also occur in humans, it may be necessary to revise some theories about how the brain works and how we manage tiredness and wakefulness. This could have significant implications for the study of sleep disorders, chronic fatigue and neurodegenerative diseases.
Future research could focus on identifying these micro-naps in human brains and their impact on behavior and mental health. Better understanding how and why neurons enter these brief resting states could provide new tools for improving the quality of sleep and wakefulness, as well as treating neurological and psychological disorders.
The boundary between wakefulness and sleep is therefore much thinner than imagined. Micro-naps of neurons demonstrate that the brain is capable of very complex and refined adaptations to manage its states of activity and rest. This discovery invites us to reconsider many of our beliefs about the nature of sleep and wakefulness.
What do you think about this discovery? Do you think that micro-naps of neurons could influence our daily life and well-being? Share your opinion in the comments!
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