University of Rochester neuroscientist Maiken Nedergaard has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for her discovery of a brain waste-clearance system that is especially active during sleep.
Nedergaard was among 90 regular members and 10 international members elected this year, according to the academy’s Oct. 19 announcement. The academy cited her work on the glymphatic system, which has changed how scientists study sleep and neurological disease.
Research into the brain’s waste-clearance system
More than 14 years ago, Nedergaard and colleagues identified a process in which cerebrospinal fluid moves through spaces around blood vessels and into brain tissue, helping remove waste that accumulates while people are awake, according to a University of Rochester Medicine interview. The university says the work has opened research paths involving Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and brain trauma.
Nedergaard said one early surprise was how much fluid moved through the brains of mice during sleep and how rapidly that activity changed when they woke. She said the pattern was consistent across the mice studied.
The academy described her discovery as a new way to examine impaired brain clearance in neurological conditions. The research points to possible therapeutic approaches.
Sleep advice from the Rochester scientist
In the university interview, Nedergaard said her research has made her view sleep as an active biological state rather than simply rest. She tries to keep a reasonably regular sleep schedule and said predictable patterns of light, meals, activity and sleep can help.
She said research suggests sleep disturbances may be associated with a higher risk of dementia, while scientists are still studying that relationship. “Protect sufficient, regular sleep as seriously as you protect your nutrition and physical activity,” she said.
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