Sleep hope for Huntington's victims
Updated on 18 July 2007
Better and more regular sleep could improve the life of Huntington's Disease (HD) sufferers, a study has claimed.
Researchers found that mice with the genetic mutation which causes the disorder showed increased cognitive function and ability to learn after they were given drugs to help them sleep.
Experts said the results could have short and long-term implications for people living with the disease, which leads to uncontrolled movement and the loss of intellectual faculties in sufferers.
According to neuroscientists at the University of Cambridge, mice with HD show abnormal circadian rhythms governing their daily sleeping and waking cycles.
As sleep disruption contributes to problems with perception and learning in healthy people, the team decided to test whether irregular patterns and cognitive disturbances in HD mice were linked. To do this, they administered daily treatments of two different sedative drugs, Alprazolam and chloral hydrate, to regulate their sleep.
The results, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, revealed that both drugs caused a noticeable improvement in learning. Alprazolam also improved levels of arousal.
Researchers said the study showed for the first time that treatments aimed at restoring healthy sleep patterns could slow the cognitive decline which is a devastating feature of Huntington's.
Dr Jenny Morton, lead author of the study, said: "In the future, more attention should be paid to understanding sleep and circadian disturbance in HD. Management of these patterns may not only improve patients' ability to think, learn and perform, but would also improve quality of life for both them and their carers."
The results could have short and long-term implications for treatment of HD and the reversal of the disease's impairments, according to the study.
Recognising that sleep disturbance is a part of the disease means that clinicians should include focused management of sleep symptoms in their treatment of HD patients, the report added.
These news feeds are provided by an independent third party and Channel 4 is not responsible or liable to you for the same.
