Drugs that could combat sleepless night effects 'a step closer'

London, October 22 (ANI): The condition of forgetfulness caused by insomnia maybe improved with the use of drugs, according to a study.

Lead researcher Ted Abel, University of Pennsylvania, found that the administration of the enzyme inhibitor Rolipram, a drug which can be used to treat depression, could help improve some memory problems of those sleep-deprived.

"A major challenge in the field of sleep research has been to determine how the sleep disruptions associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders, ageing and everyday living, affect cognitive function," the BBC quoted Abel as saying.

"The findings presented here define a molecular mechanism underlying the effects of sleep deprivation on hippocampal function at the behavioural and synaptic level," Abel added.

Sleep specialist Dr Neil Stanley, however, proposed: "This work may give us a little more insight into what is going on in the brain, but we really need to be thinking about ways to achieve adequate sleep in the first place - not how to deal with the consequences.

"We are always going to need drugs for people with serious disorders, but we don't want to end up medicalising lifestyles.

"We need to go back to basics and think about the way we as a society lead our lives, and the impact this has on our sleep, rather than looking for a cure."

The study has been published in Nature magazine. (ANI)