Topic: orexin receptors

Circadian disturbances may lead to memory deficits and behavioral changes that are associated with a disrupted prefrontal cortex (PFC) to hippocampus (HIP) information flow in humans and in rodent models. Using a six-hour phase delay of the normal light-dark cycle to model an acute ‘jet-lag’ in mice, resulted in a reduced contextual fear memory. Neuronal activation, indicated by cFos immunohistochemistry, was increased in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) and in the supramammillary nucleus (SUM), an important relay station for prefrontal-to-hippocampal information flow. Orexinergic neurons in

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease inexorably leading to premature death. Sleep disturbances have been ascribed to respiratory insufficiency, muscle cramps, spasticity, or restless legs syndrome, all leading to increased wakefulness. However, a recent neuropathological study in ALS patients described a loss of orexin-producing neurons, a neuropeptide involved in sleep and metabolic regulation, undermining the idea that sleep alterations are linked to central and peripheral changes. Yet, sleep alterations are poorly characterized in ALS, and their rela