Orexin and narcolepsy
(mouse)

Orexin, or in other name hypocretin, is a neuropeptide that is expressed by a limited number of glutamatergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus. The selective loss of orexinergic neurons leads to the rare neurological disorder narcolepsy. In this tragic and currently incurable disease, the switch mechanisms between sleep and wakefulness become disabled, leading to fragmented sleep, sudden daytime sleep attacks, loss of muscle tone or dreamlike hallucinations. These short movies demonstrate the three-dimensional distribution of orexinergic neurons in the mouse brain with various magnifications.

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