Reinforcing body clock rhythms may help brain recover from stroke, study suggests

Improving sleep by reinforcing the bodys natural daily rhythms could help the brain recover after a stroke potentially providing a new strategy to enhance the brains waste clearance and outcomes according to a new studyThe findings published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation show that interventions designed to reinforce the bodys natural circadian rhythms such as timed light exposure melatonin or a body clocktargeting drug improved recovery in mouse models of strokeResearchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center also found improvements in the glymphatic system the brains wasteclearing network and reduced levels of inflammatory molecules that can linger in the brain after a strokeThe system moves cerebrospinal fluid along blood vessels and through brain tissue delivering nutrients and helping remove waste products and inflammatory signalsThe discussion of stroke recovery really starts with the idea that stroke is not just a vascular event but also a disorder of timing lead author Lauren Hablitz a neuroscientist at the University of Rochester Medical Center saidStrokes are considered to follow predictable timeofday patterns with their likelihood of occurring being higher in the morning They can also be often more severe near the end of the sleep period At the same time many stroke patients experience disrupted sleepwake cycles after their injury and those disruptions are associated with poorer recovery depression and lower quality of life the researchers saidThat led us to ask a simple question If timing is broken after a stroke can we improve recovery by reinforcing the biological clock Hablitz said The researchers added that previous studies show an impaired glymphatic function after stroke potentially limiting the brains ability to clear harmful molecules that accumulate during recovery The team evaluated interventions known to influence the bodys internal clock including timed light exposure melatonin a clocktargeting drug called KL001 and timerestricted feeding each could enhance glymphatic function in healthy animalsThe most promising approaches KL001 and timerestricted feeding were then tested in mouse models of strokeTreatment began three days after stroke well beyond the narrow treatment window for clotbusting drugs and other acute interventions the researchers saidHowever despite the delay the animals receiving an intervention showed an improved motor recovery smaller lesion volumes enhanced glymphatic flow and lower levels of inflammatory cytokines in the brainAll of the cytokines moved in the same direction That suggests we may not be targeting one specific inflammatory pathway Instead we may be helping the brain clear inflammatory signals more effectively Hablitz saidThe findings could have practical implications for stroke rehabilitation as the most promising intervention involved timerestricted feeding a behavioural approach already being studied for obesity diabetes cardiovascular disease among others the team said They added that the findings are currently limited to animal models and that more work is needed to understand exactly how circadian rhythms glymphatic function and inflammation interact after stroke Further the study reflects a growing shift in neuroscience that views sleep circadian rhythms and fluid transport as fundamental drivers of brain health the researchers saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever