Reversing Sleep Deprivation With A Whiff Of Orexin-A

Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 27 Dec 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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This article might appeal to the beleaguered hospital intern or the college student during finals week, both of which must at times combat sleep deprivation. The loss of the hypothalamic neurons that produce orexin-A causes narcolepsy, and the administration of orexin-A produces arousal and increased attention.

This week, Deadwyler et al. provide further evidence that orexin-A can counteract the effects of sleep deprivation. Adult rhesus monkeys were sleep deprived for 30-36 h using a combination of videos, music, treats, gentle rattling of their cages, and constant supervision by laboratory personnel. Sounds a lot like a college dorm.

The monkeys were then tested on a delayed match-to-sample short-term memory task. Monkeys that received orexin-A, particularly by intranasal spray, showed better performance.

The differences were most apparent for trials that were classified as high-load cognitive processes. The superiority of the intranasal delivery may prove useful for potential clinical applications.

"Calcium and Vesicle Recruitment at the Calyx of Held"
Nobutake Hosoi, Takeshi Sakaba, and Erwin Neher
The Journal of Neuroscience, December 26, 2007, 27(52)
Click here to view abstract online

Sara Harris
Society for Neuroscience