What's Happening?
Researchers from various institutions, including the Neuroscience Research Center of Lyon and McGill University, have identified a 300-million-year-old brain rhythm known as the infraslow rhythm in several
animal species, including reptiles, birds, rodents, and humans. This rhythm, previously observed primarily in mammals, is linked to non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and is thought to play a role in brain cleaning processes and environmental monitoring during sleep. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that this rhythm is an ancient mechanism that dates back to a common ancestor of these species.
Why It's Important?
The discovery of the infraslow rhythm across diverse species highlights its potential fundamental role in sleep regulation and brain function. This finding could reshape our understanding of sleep's evolutionary origins and its critical functions in different species. It may also lead to new insights into how sleep contributes to brain health and survival, potentially influencing future research in neuroscience and sleep medicine.
What's Next?
Future research may focus on testing the hypotheses related to the infraslow rhythm's role in brain cleaning and environmental monitoring in other species, such as lizards. These studies could further explore the evolutionary significance of sleep states and their functions across different animal groups, potentially leading to new discoveries in sleep science.
