Natural brain chemical can treat narcolepsy

Main Category: Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia
Article Date: 16 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PDT

Current ratings for:
'Natural brain chemical can treat narcolepsy'

Patient / Public:5 stars

4.57 (7 votes)

Healthcare Prof:5 stars

5 (1 votes)

Article opinions: 1 posts
The Sleeping disorder, narcolepsy, can be treated by a natural brain chemical, say US scientists. When mice were injected with orexin their narcolepsy got better, said scientists at Texas University. Symptoms of narcolepsy such as muscle weakness (cataplexy) were reduced. They also found that the injecting of orexin made the mice more alert. You can read about this study in the Proceedings of the National Academy Sciences. The scientists genetically modified the mice so that they could not produce orexin naturally, said Dr Masashi Yanagisawa, professor of molecular genetics, Texas University, USA. Orexin is produced in the hypothalamus (in the brain), it is produced by nerve cells. Scientists believe that people who suffer from narcolepsy cannot produce orexin because of damage in the nerve cells. After injecting the mice with orexin peptides the scientists found that the mice were more awake, slept more regularly (better sleeping patterns) and did not have any more cataplectic fits. There was not a feeling of loss of sleep while the mice were awake on orexin. Currently, when patients are on amphetamine treatment they get 'rebound sleep' where they have to regain the sleep they have lost while awake. Dr Yanagisawa said 'This is extremely important because it shows that these mice retain the ability to respond to orexin. Our experiments provide a strong proof of concept that introducing into the brain a molecule that mimics the effect of orexin will be the fundamental cure for narcolepsy.' He believes new treatment could be developed from orexin receptor agonists (they mimic orexin's effects). He also thinks new treatments could be developed from this to help insomniacs stay awake during the day. Hundreds of thousand of people around the world suffer from narcolepsy.

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
Visit our sleep / sleep disorders / insomnia section for the latest news on this subject.
There are no references listed for this article.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

MLA
n.p. "Natural brain chemical can treat narcolepsy." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 16 Mar. 2004. Web.
26 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/6573.php>

APA
n.p. (2004, March 16). "Natural brain chemical can treat narcolepsy." Medical News Today. Retrieved from
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/6573.php.

Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.



Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)

Longtime Sufferer

posted by Anonymous on 16 May 2008 at 1:47 pm

I happened upon your article when I googled " Narcolepsy Natural Cures", and was surprised to hear about your current research. As a longtime narcolepsy sufferer I am always interested in learning about any new developments in the field of cures for this debilitating illness that so many of us have to live with.

Over the years, I couldn't begin to count the volume of jokes and ridicule that I've had to endure from those who simply didn't understand that when I struggle to stay awake it's not because I'm lazy, bored, or uninterested, I'm just afflicted with this curse. In the past I was prescribed Ritalin to treat my symptoms, however I soon took myself off of it after a short while because it actually made me feel more drained after it would wear off. I am currently taking Provigil, which doesn't leave me with the bad side effects that Ritalin did. However, even with the Provigil's improved success, I still find myself having more episodes than I'd like.

Your research sounds very promising, and I for one will be monitoring any further news towards its development now that I am aware of it. I would certainly welcome any newsletters that you may release pertaining to your narcolepsy research if such a thing exists. I have been burdened with this for a very long time now and hope that I didn't pass this illness onto my daughter the way it was passed down to me from my father. I will continue to pray that you are able to help discover a cure for people like me through your research.

| post followup | alert a moderator |


Add Your Opinion On This Article

'Natural brain chemical can treat narcolepsy'

Please note that we publish your name, but we do not publish your email address. It is only used to let you know when your message is published. We do not use it for any other purpose. Please see our privacy policy for more information.

If you write about specific medications or operations, please do not name health care professionals by name.

All opinions are moderated before being included (to stop spam)

Your Name:*
E-mail Address:*
Your Opinion Title:*
Opinion:*
This is to help prevent SPAM submissions. Please enter the words exactly as they appear, including capital letters and punctuation.*

* Fields marked with a * need to be filled in before you hit the submit button.

Contact Our News Editors

For any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form.

Please send any medical news or health news press releases to:

Note: Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. For more information, please read our terms and conditions.


Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia

Most Popular Articles



Follow Our Sleep News On Twitter

Follow Us On Twitter
Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Simply visit our Sleep / Sleep Disorders / Insomnia Twitter account and select the 'follow' option.



View list of all 'What Is...' articles »