Studying The Molecular Basis Of Sleep Disorders Using Insomniac Fish

Sleep disorders are common and poorly understood. In humans, narcolepsy is a sleep disorder associated with sleepiness, abnormal dreaming, paralysis and insomnia. Neuropeptides called hypocretins are implicated in this disorder. A new study by Yokogawa and colleagues at Stanford University now reveals that fish, like mammals, sleep, and their hypocretin receptor plays an important role. Their work is published online this week in the open-access journal PLoS Biology. [click link for full article]

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Filed under: Sleep / Sleep Disorders on October 20th, 2007