title: Clinical and neurobiological aspects of narcolepsy.
abstract: Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy and/or other dissociated manifestations of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis). Narcolepsy is currently treated with amphetamine-like central nervous system (CNS) stimulants (for EDS) and antidepressants (for cataplexy). Some other classes of compounds such as modafinil (a non-amphetamine wake-promoting compound for EDS) and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB, a short-acting sedative for EDS/fragmented nighttime sleep and cataplexy) given at night are also employed. The major pathophysiology of human narcolepsy has been recently elucidated based on the discovery of narcolepsy genes in animals. Using forward (i.e., positional cloning in canine narcolepsy) and reverse (i.e., mouse gene knockout) genetics, the genes involved in the pathogenesis of narcolepsy (hypocretin/orexin ligand and its receptor) in animals have been identified. Hypocretins/orexins are novel hypothalamic neuropeptides also involved in various hypothalamic functions such as energy homeostasis and neuroendocrine functions. Mutations in hypocretin-related genes are rare in humans, but hypocretin-ligand deficiency is found in many narcolepsy-cataplexy cases. In this review, the clinical, pathophysiological and pharmacological aspects of narcolepsy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Sleep and Circadian, Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Narcolepsy, 1201 Welch Road, P213, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. nishino@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004285:Dogs; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D017354:Point Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000235:genetics; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000235:genetics; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D059866:HLA-DQ beta-Chains; C069051:HLA-DQB1 antigen; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D064446:Orexin Receptors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide