American scientists have discovered an unexpected positive effect of lack of sleep on improving the well-being of people suffering from depression. Physicians from the University of Pennsylvania noticed that a small lack of sleep reduced depressive symptoms and improved mood in patients.
According to a study published in the journal PNAS, scientists conducted a study of the condition of patients who experience symptoms of depression, using the method of magnetic resonance imaging. During the experiment, the brains of the study participants were scanned in the laboratory during sleep.
The study led to paradoxical results: out of 30 patients, 20 who experienced lack of sleep noted an improvement in their mood. The rest of the participants either remained dissatisfied or admitted that their emotional state remained unchanged.
A study of brain scans revealed that subjects who feel better after sleep deprivation have a more advanced connection between the anterior cingulate gyrus and the amygdala, two areas of the brain responsible for producing an emotional response. On the other hand, in those patients for whom lack of sleep is not beneficial, the connection between these areas of the brain weakens.
The authors of the experiment admit that they cannot yet explain the exact mechanism of this phenomenon and limit themselves to stating a fact. However, the clear result is that communication between these brain regions can increase the resilience of the nervous system to negative factors such as lack of sleep. Lenta.ru.
Further and more insightful research is needed to confirm and better understand these findings. This discovery could be an important step forward in understanding the relationship between the brain and emotional state.
Earlier, MediaStream wrote that a system has been created that recognizes Parkinson’s disease using smart watches.
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