Disrupted Sleep in Narcolepsy: Exploring the Integrity of Galanin Neurons in the Ventrolateral Preoptic Area

Sleep. 2016 May 1;39(5):1059-62. doi: 10.5665/sleep.5754.

Abstract

Study objectives: To examine the integrity of sleep-promoting neurons of the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO) in postmortem brains of narcolepsy type 1 patients.

Methods: Postmortem examination of five narcolepsy and eight control brains.

Results: VLPO galanin neuron count did not differ between narcolepsy patients (11,151 ± 3,656) and controls (13,526 ± 9,544).

Conclusions: A normal number of galanin-immunoreactive VLPO neurons in narcolepsy type 1 brains at autopsy suggests that VLPO cell loss is an unlikely explanation for the sleep fragmentation that often accompanies the disease.

Keywords: galanin; narcolepsy; sleep fragmentation; ventrolateral preoptic area.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Autopsy
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Galanin / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Narcolepsy / complications
  • Narcolepsy / pathology*
  • Narcolepsy / physiopathology*
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Preoptic Area / cytology*
  • Preoptic Area / metabolism
  • Sleep Deprivation / etiology
  • Sleep Deprivation / pathology*
  • Sleep Deprivation / physiopathology*

Substances

  • Galanin

Supplementary concepts

  • Narcolepsy 1