[더파워 이상훈 기자] South Korean scientists have developed a groundbreaking technology capable of real-time monitoring of brain waste clearance during sleep, including the removal of amyloid-beta — a toxic protein closely linked to Alzheimer's disease. The innovation is expected to open new frontiers in early dementia diagnosis and personalized brain health management.
A joint research team led by Professor Chang-Ho Yoon from the Department of Neurology at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital and Professor Hyun-Min Bae from the Department of Electrical Engineering at KAIST announced on July 23 that they had successfully developed a wireless, non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system. This is the world’s first technology enabling quantitative, real-time analysis of the brain’s glymphatic system activity during sleep.
The glymphatic system functions during sleep by allowing cerebrospinal fluid to flow through brain tissue, clearing out waste products including amyloid-beta. While its existence and function have been demonstrated in animal studies, measuring its activity non-invasively in humans in real-time has long remained a challenge.
To overcome this, the team developed a wireless NIRS device that adheres to the forehead and emits near-infrared light at a wavelength of 925nm. This setup enables continuous monitoring of brain hydration throughout the sleep cycle. An advanced algorithm removes interference from blood flow, allowing precise tracking of cerebrospinal fluid-related water changes.
The study involved 41 healthy adult participants. The data showed a significant increase in frontal brain water content during the transition from wakefulness to non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Notably, the most substantial rise occurred during the first stage of deep sleep, indicating that brain cleansing processes are concentrated in the early phases of sleep. These findings align with prior animal studies and provide strong evidence linking sleep structure with brain health.
“This study is the first in the world to successfully quantify and analyze glymphatic activity during sleep in real time,” said Professor Yoon. “We anticipate the technology will contribute greatly to early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and the development of personalized sleep therapies and brain health strategies.”
The study was published in the Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, the official journal of the International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism. The researchers are also exploring commercialization of the technology for home use as a wearable brain health monitoring device.
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