Scientists from the Jülich Research Center (Germany) found out that lack of sleep and long-term sleep disorders affect the body in different ways. Chronic sleep disturbances alter the functioning of areas responsible for emotion and memory, while short-term sleep deprivation affects temperature regulation and pain perception. The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
German scientists analyzed data from 231 studies to identify differences in neural changes between people with chronic sleep disorders and people with short-term sleep deprivation.
In people with chronic disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy, changes were observed in the anterior cranial cortex, right tonsil, and hippocampus. These areas are associated with emotion regulation, memory, and decision making. Disorders in these areas can lead to symptoms such as chronic fatigue, memory problems, mood swings, and depression.
At the same time, short-term sleep deprivation was associated with changes in the right thalamus, which is responsible for temperature regulation, pain perception and movement.
"Symptoms of lack of sleep in both cases are similar: irritability, attention problems and decreased reaction speed. But chronic sleep disorders are more dangerous. they reduce the efficiency of removing harmful substances from the brain, impair emotional stability and memory, and also reduce human productivity," explains study co-author Geryon Reimann.
Scientists note that the changes in the brain associated with chronic and short-term sleep deprivation do not "coincide". These results may serve as a basis for the development of more effective treatment methods for sleep disorders.
Translation by Euromedia24.com
