How blood sugar affects your memory
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Scientists have found a link between the activity of the memory center in the brain and blood sugar levels
Normal blood glucose levels are an important indicator of metabolic health.
It changes depending on the amount of sugar that comes from food, and on the response of cells to the hormone insulin, which is secreted by the pancreas and ensures the penetration of glucose through cell membranes. But, as it turns out, another important player is involved in this process. In a recent study, researchers at New York University found that the brain can also regulate blood sugar levels. Moreover, this function is performed by the area responsible for memory.
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The study was carried out on mice. Using an electroencephalograph, the scientists tracked electrical fluctuations in different areas of their brains and simultaneously recorded changes in blood glucose levels. The following pattern was discovered:
10 minutes after a series of spiky pulsating waves in the hippocampus, which usually accompany the process of remembering information, the level of sugar in the blood of rodents steadily decreased.
This correlation did not depend on either circadian biological rhythms or meals.
To double-check, the scientists modeled the same spiky pulsating waves in the hippocampus using optogenetics: light-sensitive molecules were implanted into the neurons of mice, which allow them to activate nerve cells with light pulses. The experiment showed that even artificially generated waves cause a decrease in blood glucose levels. Scientists also noticed that pulsating signals are transmitted from the hippocampus through one of the intermediate structures - the lateral septum - to the hypothalamus, which, in turn, affects the functioning of the pancreas.
Peaked pulsating waves occur mainly during non-REM sleep.
It is possible that the cause of jumps in blood sugar levels in diabetics due to poor sleep may just be disturbances in wave activity in this phase.
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