From past to future: 50 years of pharmacological interventions to treat narcolepsy

Konofal E (2024) From past to future: 50 years of pharmacological interventions to treat narcolepsy. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 241:173804. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173804 PMID: 38852786

Objective: This review article discusses the historical progression and transformative insights that have characterized the treatment of narcolepsy from its initial documentation to the present day.

Summary: The research continues to push the boundaries of what is known about this complex sleep disorder, the hope for treatments that can fundamentally alter the disease trajectory becomes increasingly tangible. This paradigm shift towards addressing the autoimmune, neuroinflammatory, and neurodegenerative aspects of narcolepsy promises to revolutionize patient care.

Usage: See also these references using Orexin-B-SAP (IT-20) to create a narcoleptic-like rat model via LH lesions.

See Also:

• Gerashchenko D et al. Hypocretin-2-saporin lesions of the lateral hypothalamus produce narcoleptic-like sleep behavior in the rat. J Neurosci 21(18):7273-7283, 2001.
• Gerashchenko K et al. Effects of lateral hypothalamic lesion with the neurotoxin hypocretin-2-saporin on sleep in Long-Evans rats. Neuroscience 116:223-235, 2003.