The Little Known Brain Cells that Help You Stay Awake and Keep Your Brain Active

Now that sounds good — stay awake and keep my brain active!

Yes, indeed that does sound good. We all know, and obviously the scientific research also says, that fatigue impairs brain function — quite seriously at times.

Tell me about it! And what brain cells are we talking about?

First off, we know that staying a wake for longer causes mental fatigue and subsequently disrupts following sleep patterns. And we also know that there are different parts of the brain that control this daily cycle of sleep and alertness.

These researchers from Washington State University in the USA looked at part of the brain in mice called the basal forebrain which is associated with sleep regulation. Specifically they look at a class of brains cells called astrocytes.

Astrocytes? Sounds cool but what are they?

Astrocytes are what are known as glial cells or helping cells — normally only ascribed a helping function in the brain to the brain’s neurons which are our key functional brain cells. But because astrocytes have a key regulatory function shuttling nutrients and transmitters into neurons, they can have important impacts on brain functioning.