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