Why do living organisms need sleep?

A new theory suggests that myelin acts as a proton capacitor, accumulating energy during sleep.

🧵1/12 These findings are from a paper in @ElsevierConnect which discussed a novel hypothesis as to why living organisms need sleep. 2/12 sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

The human brain emits light that reflects changes in cognitive state.

🧵1/12 These findings are from a study in @iScience_CP which investigated the role of ultraweak photon emissions (UPEs) in the human brain. 2/12 cell.com/iscience/fullt…

I just filmed a 1.5 hour podcast on creatine for mental health.

Here are the highlights.

🧵1/10 While creatine's role in muscle energetics is well-established, its equally crucial function in brain metabolism has recently gained scientific attention. 2/10

Our paper was just published in European Neuropsychopharmacology.

🧵1/18 Creatine, a nitrogenous organic composed of the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine, is a common and well-researched supplement used among athletes and bodybuilders to improve physical performance. 2/18

Sleep onset between 10-11 PM is associated with the lowest incidence of cardiovascular disease.

🧵1/10 These findings are from a study in @OUPAcademic which examined the association between wrist-worn accelerometer-derived sleep onset timing and cardiovascular disease (CVD). 2/10 academic.oup.com/ehjdh/article/…

Daily use & high-potency cannabis are strong predictors of developing a psychotic disorder - such as schizophrenia.

🧵1/8 These findings are from a study in @thelancet which aimed to identify patterns of cannabis use with the strongest effect on odds of psychotic disorder. 2/8 thelancet.com/article/S2215-…

Our paper was just published in The European Journal of Psychiatry.

🧵1/10 The role of animals has garnered increasing attention within the mental health field due to their potential therapeutic benefits. 2/10

A ketogenic diet led to remission of both OCD and inflammatory bowel disease.

🧵1/12 These findings are from a case report in @FrontPsychiatry which described the first clinical application of a ketogenic diet in adult OCD with ulcerative colitis (UC). 2/12 frontiersin.org/journals/psych…

Creatine changes brain connectivity in the treatment of depression.

🧵1/10 These findings are from a study in @biologicalpsyc1 which aimed to determine the underlying antidepressant mechanisms of creatine. 2/10 biologicalpsychiatryjournal.com/article/S0006-…

Women’s brains may be more resilient due to their ‘silent’ X chromosome.

🧵1/12 These findings are from a study in @ScienceAdvances which aimed to determine the role of the ‘silent’ or ‘inactive’ X chromosome. 2/12 science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…

Just 20 minutes of vigorous exercise per week is associated with 40% lower cardiovascular disease mortality.

🧵1/8 These findings are from a study in @OUPAcademic which aimed to determine the optimal amounts of vigorous physical activity (VPA) in relation to mortality. 2/8 academic.oup.com/eurheartj/arti…

Your environment predicts aging and mortality more than genetics.

🧵1/10 These findings are from a study in @NatureMedicine which aimed to quantify the relative contributions of environment (referred to as the exposome) and genetics to aging and premature mortality. 2/10 nature.com/articles/s4159…

This is the most comprehensive review of the neuroprotective mechanisms of exercise.

TL;DR: You only need ~30 min/week of high intensity exercise to substantially reduce risk of dementia or premature death.

🧵1/13 These findings are from a review in @TheLancet which explored the neuroprotective mechanisms of endurance exercise and highlighted the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in promoting healthy brain aging. 2/13 thelancet.com/journals/lance…

Bright light therapy is an effective adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorders.

🧵1/8 These findings are from a study in @JAMAPsych which aimed to assess bright light therapy (BLT) effectiveness as an adjunctive treatment for nonseasonal depressive disorders. 2/8 jamanetwork.com/journals/jamap…

This is the first map of human brain mitochondria.

🧵1/11 These findings are from a study in @Nature which created a map of mitochondria throughout the entire brain to bridge the scale gap between cognitive neuroscience and cell biology. 2/11 nature.com/articles/s4158…

Daytime napping is associated with a larger total brain volume.

🧵1/8 These findings are from a study in @SleepHealthEiC which studied the relationship between habitual daytime napping and cognition and brain structure, using Mendelian randomization. 2/8 sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-…

Higher muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity is associated with >10 years of preserved brain structure.

🧵1/9 These findings are from a study in @NatureComms which examined the association of muscle mitochondrial oxidative capacity with up to over a decade-long changes in brain atrophy and microstructure. 2/9 nature.com/articles/s4146…

Creatine upregulates the mRNA content of genes and protein content of kinases in muscle - independent of exercise intervention.

🧵1/9 These findings are from a study in @PhysiologicalG which investigated the effect of short-term creatine supplementation on global and targeted mRNA expression and protein content in human skeletal muscle. 2/9 journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.11…

Ketones exhibit robust effects in restabilizing brain networks.

🧵1/9 These findings are from a study in @PNASNews which integrated human brain and physiological data to investigate underlying mechanisms. 2/9 pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pn…

There are two subtypes of autism: brain hypoconnectivity & hyperconnectivity.

🧵1/9 These findings are from a study in @biorxivpreprint which leveraged cross-species functional neuroimaging to examine whether variability in brain functional connectivity reflects distinct biological mechanisms. 2/9 biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

Reducing sugar intake in the first 1000 days of life is associated with a reduced risk of chronic diseases in adulthood.

🧵1/8 These findings are from a study in @ScienceMagazine which examined the impact of exposure to sugar restrictions within 1000 days after conception on type 2 diabetes and hypertension. 2/8 science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…