(© Image: Depositphotos) - A recent study is shaking up what is known about this condition, which is considered incurable, and could lead to a treatment. Orexin (also called hypocretin, or HCRT) is one of the most versatile neurotransmitters in the brain. It plays a role in motivation, energy metabolism and sleep/wake rhythms. The absence of HCRT leads to a profound disorganization of alertness states, difficulty staying awake during the day and falling asleep at night, as well as sudden paralysis (loss of muscle tone) in moments of intense emotional excitement. The latter is called narcolepsy with cataplexy. The disease appears during childhood or early adulthood: it is still incurable . HCRT deficiency is generally thought to result from neurodegeneration of the few thousand nerve cells located in the center of the brain, in the hypothalamus, that produce this peptide.
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