隨著年齡增長，人們的深睡眠時(shí)間會越來越短。然而，新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，如果深睡眠時(shí)間大幅減少，患癡呆癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)將會大增。

Loss of slow-wave sleep as you age may increase your risk of developing dementia, according to a new study.

新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，隨著年齡增長，慢波睡眠時(shí)間的減少可能會增加患癡呆癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。

"We found that aging was associated with a decline in the amount of the deepest stages of sleep, known as slow wave sleep,” said Matthew P. Pase, senior author of the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology, via email. Pase is an associate professor of psychology and neurology at Monash University in Australia.

該研究的資深作者、澳大利亞莫納什大學(xué)心理學(xué)與神經(jīng)學(xué)副教授馬修·P·帕賽在電子郵件中說：“我們發(fā)現(xiàn)，隨著年齡增長，深睡眠（也就是所謂的慢波睡眠）時(shí)間會逐漸減少。”該研究10月30日發(fā)表在期刊《美國醫(yī)學(xué)會雜志—神經(jīng)病學(xué)》上。

"We then found that persons with greater declines in slow wave sleep over time had a higher risk of getting dementia over the next 17 years of follow-up,” said Pase via email.

帕賽在電郵中說：“我們還發(fā)現(xiàn)，慢波睡眠時(shí)間隨年齡增長減少幅度更大的人群，未來17年患癡呆癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)更高。”

Slow-wave sleep is the third stage of sleep, which is important for brain health. During this stage, the body removes unwanted, or potentially harmful, materials from the brain — including beta-amyloid protein, a hallmark sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

慢波睡眠是睡眠的第三個(gè)階段，對大腦健康非常重要。在這一階段的睡眠中，人體會從大腦中移除不想要的或可能有害的物質(zhì)，包括β-淀粉樣蛋白，這種物質(zhì)是阿爾茨海默病的一個(gè)標(biāo)志性特征。

For the brain, this deep sleep is thought to be the most restorative, said Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, via email. Isaacson wasn’t involved in the study.

美國佛羅里達(dá)州神經(jīng)退行性疾病研究所的研究部主任理查德·艾薩克森博士在電郵中表示，深睡眠階段是最有助于大腦恢復(fù)的。艾薩克森未參與此項(xiàng)研究。

The authors wanted to know whether chronic reductions in slow-wave sleep over time are linked with dementia risk in humans and vice versa — whether dementia-related processes in the brain may contribute to getting less of this type of sleep.

研究作者們想知道，慢波睡眠時(shí)間的長期減少長遠(yuǎn)來看是否會增加人們患癡呆癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)，反之，大腦中與癡呆癥相關(guān)的進(jìn)行性退化是否會導(dǎo)致慢波睡眠時(shí)間減少。

"Results suggest that chronic declines in slow wave sleep, rather than individual differences at any given time, are important for predicting dementia risk.” Pase said.

帕賽表示：“研究表明，相比在任何特定時(shí)間的個(gè)體差異，慢波睡眠時(shí)間長期減少對于預(yù)測癡呆風(fēng)險(xiǎn)很重要?！?/p>

The researchers studied 346 people who were age 69 on average and had participated in the Framingham Heart Study and completed two overnight sleep studies — one between 1995 to 1998 and the second between 1998 to 2001 — during which their sleep was monitored. Launched by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 1948, the Framingham Heart Study identifies common factors contributing to cardiovascular disease.

研究人員調(diào)查了參與過弗雷明漢心臟研究的平均年齡69歲的346個(gè)人，分別在1995年至1998年間以及1998年至2001年間完成了兩項(xiàng)夜間睡眠研究，在這期間對他們的睡眠進(jìn)行了監(jiān)測。美國國家心肺和血液研究所1948年發(fā)起的弗雷明漢心臟研究查明了導(dǎo)致心血管疾病的常見因素。

The authors also investigated whether any changes in the amount of slow-wave sleep that participants got was associated with developing dementia up to 17 years after they completed the sleep studies.

研究作者還調(diào)查了參與者慢波睡眠時(shí)間的任何變化是否與完成睡眠研究17年后患癡呆癥有關(guān)。

By that time, 52 participants had been diagnosed with dementia. Each percentage decrease in slow-wave sleep per year was linked with a 27% increased risk of developing dementia and a 32% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The rate of slow-wave sleep loss accelerated from age 60, peaked from ages 75 to 80 and slowed afterward.

研究結(jié)束17年內(nèi)，已有52名參與者確診了癡呆癥。慢波睡眠時(shí)間每年每減少1%，患癡呆癥的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)就增加27%，患阿爾茨海默病的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)就增加32%。慢波睡眠時(shí)間減少速度從60歲起加快，在75歲至80歲期間達(dá)到頂峰，之后又逐漸變慢。

Those who experienced declines in this deep sleep were more likely to have cardiovascular disease, take medications that affect sleep and carry a gene that makes people more at risk for Alzheimer’s (the APOE ε4 allele).

深睡眠減少的人群更可能患上心血管疾病，以及服用影響睡眠的藥物，攜帶阿爾茨海默病高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)基因APOE ε4 allele的人也更可能出現(xiàn)深睡眠減少。

"This is an important study yet again showing the impact of quality of sleep on a person’s risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” Isaacson said. “It’s important to not only pay attention to the total amount a person is sleeping each night, but also monitor sleep quality as best as possible.”

艾薩克森表示：“這項(xiàng)重要研究再次表明了睡眠質(zhì)量對于一個(gè)人患上認(rèn)知衰退和癡呆癥風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的影響。我們不光要注意一個(gè)人每夜睡眠的總時(shí)長，也要盡可能監(jiān)測睡眠質(zhì)量。”

英文來源：美國有線電視新聞網(wǎng)

翻譯&編輯：丹妮