SLEEP CONSISTENCY AND AMYLOID PLAQUE FORMATION: A COMPARATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW OF ALZHEIMER'S RESEARCH

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder diagnosed by its distinctive pathophysiology. Recent breakthroughs in research have resulted in FDA-approved drugs targeted at treating Alzheimer pathology, breaking a nearly 2-decade lull in Alzheimer pharmaceutical treatment innovation. These medications are most effective in treating early-stage Alzheimer’s, which has led to an increased importance on predicting and anticipating the development of the disease. One of the most highly speculated factors in the development of Alzheimer’s is sleep. Sleep is an essential human behavior and plays a role in good neural health. This literary review seeks to analyze recent research concerning the health benefits of sleep and the risks chronic sleep deprivation pose to the brain and research surrounding the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease.