5 DISCUSSION
The neurodegenerative disease with dementia such as Alzheimer’s dementia has been regarded as a disease indicating progressive progress conventionally.41 We introduced the chronobiological therapy against dementia cases. We reduced fluctuating cognition and autonomic nervous dysfunction of each organ by reconstructing awakening and sleep rhythm. In addition, we made the patients participate in the rehabilitation for cognitive functions. We adjusted the balance of awakening and sleep rhythm, that is, a circadian rhythm, and arranged the schedule of activities.
Altman succeeded in hippocampal neuropoiesis in rats in 1965.42 The recent studies are successful in the hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo but have not continued to clinical application.13 The neurogenesis by herbal medicine, which constitute the traditional Chinese medicine or Japanese Kampo Medicine, has been reported.10,11 It is expected that there is the element which connects neurogenesis with clinical application in those medicine.43 Neuronal loss under neurodegeneration or aging is always occurring in the brain of all adults potentially. The hippocampal neurogenesis which occurred in the adult human brain was confirmed in the precedent study.12 We supposed that the neurogenesis was always occurring potentially. We thought that the hippocampal volume would be changed by the dominant factors based on the relation between the neurogenesis vs neurodegeneration, although many researchers are trying to develop the new one drug which would conduct neurogenesis.
When sleep is affected, amyloid β level in the cerebrospinal fluid rises.44 On the other hand, the accumulation of amyloid β may cause fragmentation of sleep.1 The accumulation of amyloid β is a main cause of Alzheimer’s disease.45 The melatonin controls circadian rhythm and the plasticity of the hippocampal nerves.46 Non-REM sleep is constructed during sleep and, in the non-REM sleep, is in a condition that the information that was experienced at the daytime communicate through default mode network.4,5Furthermore, natural sleep rhythm may regulate adult neurogenesis. Memory-consolidation may be achieved by neurogenesis of the hippocampal dentate gyrus during non-REM sleep. s.6,7,47 The exercise promotes neurogenesis together with the control of the daytime meal intake.48
There are Yin-Yang ups and downs, which is the way of thinking of both awakening-action and sleep-rest, in Japanese Kampo Medicine and we focused on awakening and sleep rhythm.49,50 Yin-Yang ups and downs, namely the traditional awakening and sleep rhythm, is the rhythm with the activity peak at about 11:00 a.m. and the sleep peak at about 11:00 p.m. In the recent studies the way of thinking of awakening and sleep rhythm becomes one of the chronobiology. In addition, it is expected that circadian clock genes become easy to act properly under the physical and psychological balance.51,52 If clock genes work in the body, circadian rhythm will be stable, and neurogenesis would occur in the brain.14,15 ”Making the balance of person” by Japanese Kampo Medicine is the adjustment of awakening and sleep rhythm and is the treatment of autonomic nervous dysfunction, and is the reconstruction of the circadian rhythm. Therefore, a potentiality to promote neurogenesis is expected in Japanese Kampo Medicine therapy.53,54