Interpretation of brain health impairment due to sleep disturbances of the glymphatic system

Abstract

Sleep is an essential biological cycle that regulates the internal rhythms of the human being and contributes to maintaining homeostasis. During sleep, the glymphatic system, responsible for eliminating brain waste, is activated. Sleep deprivation or related disorders can slow down the elimination of beta-amyloid protein, increasing the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease. This study sought to interpret how alterations in the glymphatic system during sleep affect brain health. A literature review was conducted using document analysis techniques, analyzing scientific articles in the Virtual Health Library, Lilacs, PubMed and various indexed journals. Search strategies based on descriptors and Boolean operators were developed during the period from August to September 2023. As results, a connection between migraine and the glymphatic system is suggested, observing a decrease in the elimination of brain solutes and metabolites during prolonged periods of wakefulness. A bidirectional relationship has also been identified between post-traumatic headache and sleep disturbances following brain injury, possibly due to dysfunction of the glymphatic system, which limits the clearance of headache-related neuropeptides and contributes to its chronicity. Dysfunction of the glymphatic system is present in several neurological disorders, as well as decreased drainage of proinflammatory chemicals and cytokines in different conditions. It is concluded that these findings suggest that the glymphatic system could be considered as a diagnostic and therapeutic avenue for neurological diseases that were previously considered chronic or irreversible