in keeping the brain alert
A small set of neurons responsible for keeping people alert have the ability to arouse each other, a finding that could have implications for those who work long or odd hours and have difficulty staying awake, a Yale researcher has found.
Anthony van den Pol, professor of neurosurgery at the School of Medicine, was the senior author of the study, which was published in December in the journal Neuron.
The study focused on hypocretin neurons, which are located in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that regulates food intake, the hormone system and biological rhythms. It was van den Pol's laboratory that first reported that hypocretin was a new excitatory neurotransmitter. The absence of hypcretin causes narcolepsy, a condition characterized by an uncontrollable desire to sleep.
The goal of this new study was to map the physiological characteristics of the hypocretin neurons and the feedback effects of hypocretin and other neurotransmitters on hypocretin neurons, explains van den Pol. He and his colleagues were interested in finding out what turns the system on and what turns it off.
Although the brain has many hundreds of millions of cells, there are only a few thousand of these particular neurons in the brain, and they are spread over a wide area, explains van den Pol. To help locate the neurons, the researchers used transgenic mice in which the hypocretin neurons were green, and then monitored the cellular activity of the green cells.
"We found they have an ability to excite each other at the cellular level," says van den Pol. "It's like turning on the ignition in a car, that in turn activates a number of different automobile circuits, getting the car ready to drive away." In contrast, another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, inhibits the hypocretin cells, acting as the brakes for the hypocretin system.
"If the neural arousal system is overly excited, a person might become manic," he notes. "If under aroused, a person might have become excessively sleepy. These studies may point us in a direction to help people who have to work long hours or at unusual times of the night. Maybe there is a way to facilitate their performance and cognitive state using the hypocretin system."
Other scientists on the study were first author Ying Li and co-authors Xiao-Bing Gao and Takeshi Sakurai.
-- By Jacqueline Weaver
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Yale Community Unites in Grief For Victims of Tragic Accident
IN MEMORIAM
Talks, performances to mark Black History Month
Yale experts offer insights on ethical globalization
Senior to study 'directed evolution' at Cambridge as Churchill Scholar
IN FOCUS: Yale-China AIDS Education Program
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology faculty honoredPaul Turner cited for research on virus evolution
Ann Yoder gets biodiversity leadership award . . .
News executive to discuss impact of 'One Hand Zapping'
Art gallery's history is showcased in new exhibit
Library exhibit highlights the peace movement
MEDICAL SCHOOL NEWSDrug for Parkinson's disease may help smokers kick habit
Defects in the hair-like structures in the lung . . .
Study shows role of neurons in keeping the brain alert
Medical School testing treatment for ovarian cancer
English department to present staged reading of Byron drama
Dr. Stephen Fleck, noted for research on schizophrenia, dies
Conference to focus on the people and politics of the Balkan region
'Public service in Hong Kong' to be highlighted in symposium
Jonathan Spence elected president of American Historical Association
Upcoming CPTV program on the slave trade filmed during Yale event
Salute to King
Yale Books in Brief
Campus Notes
Bulletin Home|Visiting on Campus|Calendar of Events|In the News
Bulletin Board|Yale Scoreboard|Classified Ads|Search Archives|Deadlines
Bulletin Staff|Public Affairs Home|News Releases|
E-Mail Us|Yale Home Page