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Alzheimer’s might be powered by a broken sleep-wake cycle

Disrupted sleep patterns in Alzheimer’s disease may be more than a symptom—they could be a driving force. Researchers at Washington University found that the brain’s circadian rhythms are thrown off in key cell types, changing when hundreds of genes turn on and off. This disruption, triggered by amyloid buildup, scrambles normal gene timing in microglia and astrocytes—cells vital for brain maintenance and immune defense.

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