A recent study has found that listening to so-called "pink noise" while sleeping may enhance brain waves associated with a natural process that helps the brain get rid of waste.
Hot Topics
About half of Libyans drink contaminated water What is the scientific reason?
Mauritania's blue treasure is in danger Will the map of fish in the Atlantic be redrawn?
The Citrus Secret Everyone's Talking About: Burn More, Crave Less & Feel Great Naturally
Pink noise is similar to white noise, but it contains relatively stronger low frequencies, giving it a calming sound like the murmur of a waterfall or the sound of rain. (White noise is a steady sound that combines multiple sound frequencies in roughly equal proportions, and sounds similar to the hum of a fan or air conditioner.)
Researchers found that firing short pulses of this sound at a specific time during deep sleep enhanced slow brain waves, and this coincided with an increase in the movement of cerebrospinal fluid.
The researchers conducted the study on 14 healthy adult volunteers, monitoring their brain activity while they slept inside an MRI scanner.
The team used a technique known as "closed-loop auditory stimulation," which monitors brain waves in real time and releases sound at the opportune moment. When delta waves, associated with deep sleep, reached their peak, the researchers played a 50-millisecond pulse of pink noise.
The results showed that these pulses enhanced delta waves and increased the amplitude of cerebrospinal fluid waves, a clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, helping to protect them and carry some waste away from the brain.
Researchers believe that strengthening slow brain waves may affect blood flow within the brain, which in turn affects the movement of cerebrospinal fluid and helps to enhance the brain's natural mechanism for getting rid of waste during sleep.
Laura Lewis, the lead researcher on the study, said the team was able to increase the volume of the cerebrospinal fluid flow wave during sleep, a process that, to their knowledge, had not been done before.
These findings are particularly significant because the accumulation of certain waste products and proteins in the brain is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's. Joshua Levitt, the study's lead author, said that improving the brain's waste removal process could potentially help reduce the buildup of molecules like amyloid and tau protein, which are associated with the disease.
However, the study does not prove that pink noise prevents or treats Alzheimer's, and the number of participants was limited and all were healthy adults.
The researchers intend to conduct further studies to determine whether enhancing the movement of cerebrospinal fluid can improve sleep quality, particularly in people with insomnia, and whether this technique could have benefits for people with cognitive decline or those at risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
what is your opinion on this news ?do let us know in the comments on tha comment box
if you liked this news article please share on friends & family & don't forget to follow on website & social media
