This finding adds further support to the synaptic homeostasis hypothesis, which posits that sleep is a mechanism that ensures overall brain health. The study was published in the journal Nature.
One of the study’s authors, biologist Jason Rihel, explains: “While the function of sleep remains mysterious, it may serve as a period of shutdown when connections in the brain can be weakened in preparation for a new day and new learning.”
The researchers studied the
synaptic activity of zebrafish, whose brains are relatively easy to
observe and analyze. They found that the fish’s neurons made more
connections during the day and lost them during sleep...<<<Read More>>>...