by Christina Roche

Are you tired for no reason? Do you fall asleep in class, at work, or in the car? You may be a victim of narcolepsy. According to WEB MD ” people with narcolepsy experience excessive daytime sleepiness and intermittent, uncontrollable episodes of falling asleep during the daytime.”

Carolyn Johnson shed some light on the issue and offered a bit of relief for those of you who experience periodic sleeping spells.

In her article she explains how narcolepsy is a disorder where the brain goes “awry”, the problem can also be linked to problems involving addiction and appetite. The brain chemical that is beginning to be linked to the problem is Orexin.

Studies have shown that Orexin is critical in regulating sleep and wake states as well as feeding behavior and reward processes. “Orexin deficiency results in narcolepsy in humans,dogs, and rodents…” (Pharmacological Reviews).

Dr. Tom Scammel of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is one of the doctors who has been studying narcolepsy and the effects of Orexin. In the lab they use unconventional methods such as tickling mice to keep them awake and feed them fruit loops.” (Carolynn Johnson).

When the mice were fed sugary snacks, their anticipation caused a loss of muscle control, which is known as cateplexy. Scammel used gene therapy to restore the Orexin level in mice and find their symptoms of narcolepsy to improve.

With this research pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop a drug that will actually block orexin to treat insomniacs. With gene therapy orexin can be restored to some level and help narcoleptic patients.

Other mice studies involving orexin showed that when orexin levels were blocked drug-seeking behaviors decreased. In a study published by Cell Metabolism it was found that when mice  were given more orexin helped them resist obesity.

Sleep disorders, addiction, and excessive appetites have potential to be normalized. With further orexin research narcoleptics everywhere may not have to go through the embarrassmentof falling asleep in public again.