#معلومة_هامة
The brain literally begins to "eat itself" when sleep is severely lacking, according to a pioneering study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Researchers at Marquardt Polytechnic University in Italy discovered that prolonged sleep deprivation causes an increase in the activity of brain cells called astrocytes, which typically help clean up unnecessary neural connections.
However, in sleep-deprived brains, these cells start to break down even healthy synapses - a process usually reserved for damaged or weak synapses.
What is even more concerning is that the study found that microglial cells, which are involved in immune defense in the brain, also become more active during prolonged wakefulness.
This excessive activity mimics the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, suggesting that chronic sleep deprivation can gradually lead to long-term brain damage.
