A specialized system sends pulses of pressure through the fluids in our brain.

Her study found the glymphatic clearance was mediated by a hormone called norepinephrine and happened almost exclusively during the NREM sleep phase. But it only worked when sleep was natural. Anesthesia and sleeping pills shut this process down nearly completely.

  • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
    8·
    13 hours ago

    Actually maybe not? Iirc most “traditional” anesthesia basically knocks you down to the bare minimum of brain activity to remain alive and reliably regain consciousness (which is why being under anesthesia is usually a “blink and you miss it” ordeal, your brain isn’t active enough to be aware that time has passed).

    However, if I’m not mistaken, stuff like ketamine or nitrous don’t do that, and sedate you in a manner more similar to natural sleep.