Sistema hipocretinérgico y narcolepsia / Hypocretin system and narcolepsy
Rev. méd. Chile
; 137(9): 1209-1216, sep. 2009. tab, ilus
Article
in Es
| LILACS
| ID: lil-534025
Responsible library:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep-onset rapid eye movement (REM) sleep periods. It is now identified as a neurodegenerative disease because there is a massive loss of specific neurons in the brain. These neurons contain the neuropeptides hypocretin-1 and hypocretin-2, which are also known as orexin-A and orexin-B. Cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 measurements are diagnostic for primary narcolepsy. The cause of neural loss could be autoinmune since most patients have the HLA DQB1*0602 alíele that predisposes to the disorders. The discovery of hypocretin deficiency is redefining the clinical entity of narcolepsy and offering novel diagnostic procedures. This article reviews the current understanding of narcolepsy and discusses the implications of hypocretin discovery (Rev Méd Chile 2009; 1371209-16).
Key words
Full text:
1
Index:
LILACS
Main subject:
Neuropeptides
/
Narcolepsy
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
Es
Journal:
Rev. méd. Chile
Journal subject:
MEDICINA
Year:
2009
Type:
Article