Hope for the sleep-deprived

Narcoleptics and those who are sleep-deprived may find comfort in a recent study by Yale scientists. According to research published in the journal Neuron in December, hypocretin neurons, a class of peptide neurotransmitters that originate in the hypothalamus and whose absence causes narcolepsy, have been found to interact with other cells and start a chain of events that ultimately excites the hypocretin system. This knowledge may lead to ways of harnessing this system to enhance arousal, and possibly improve cognitive abilities at times of day when people become drowsy. “It’s like turning on the ignition in a car, which in turn activates a number of different automobile circuits,” said Anthony N. van den Pol, Ph.D., professor of neurosurgery, whose team observed the activity of GFP-tagged hypocretin neurons in the brains of transgenic mice. “These studies may point us in a direction to help people who have to work long hours or at unusual times of the night. Maybe there is a way to facilitate their performance and cognitive state using the hypocretin system.”