Cited by 289Sleep and Wakefulness ResearchNeuroscience of respiration and sleepSleep and related disorders

The neurobiological basis of narcolepsy

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Mahoney, Carrie E., Cogswell, Andrew, Koralnik, Igor J., Scammell, Thomas E.·2019·Nature Reviews Neuroscience

Abstract

Narcolepsy is the most common neurological cause of chronic sleepiness. The discovery about 20 years ago that narcolepsy is caused by selective loss of the neurons producing orexins (also known as hypocretins) sparked great advances in the field. Here, we review the current understanding of how orexin neurons regulate sleep-wake behaviour and the consequences of the loss of orexin neurons. We also summarize the developing evidence that narcolepsy is an autoimmune disorder that may be caused by a T cell-mediated attack on the orexin neurons and explain how these new perspectives can inform better therapeutic approaches.

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208 of 208 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Orexin neurons are both necessary and sufficient for wakefulness.

    “Orexin neurons are both necessary and sufficient for wakefulness.”

    From Effects of Traumatic Brain Injury on the Orexin/Hypocretin System (2025) · cites this paper as [36]

    In ‘Activity and signalling’ (page unavailable), the review reports that stimulating orexin neurons rouses mice from sleep. In ‘Poor maintenance of wakefulness’ (page unavailable), it says orexin-null mice still have wake bouts, though these are shorter than in controls. The source therefore supports a wake-promoting role, but not the claim that orexin neurons are necessary for wakefulness itself. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Without orexin or with altered orexin receptors, humans and animals experience narcolepsy.

    “Without orexin or with altered orexin receptors, humans and animals experience narcolepsy,34–39”

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Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 209 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [180]US National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01789398 (2015). 28792816
  2. [181]US National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03332784 (2018). 28792816
  3. [182]US National Library of Medicine. ClinicalTrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT02348593 (2018). 28792816
  4. [198]Scammell TE Narcolepsy. N. Engl. J. Med 373, 2654– 2662 (2015). 26716917
  5. [201]Kisanuki Y Behavioral and polysomnographic characterization of orexin-1 receptor and orexin-2 receptor double knockout mice. Sleep 24, A22 (2001).

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Authors
Mahoney, C. E., Cogswell, A., Koralnik, I. J., & Scammell, T. E.
Affiliations
  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US)
  • Rush University Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author
Scammell, Thomas E.
Venue
Nature Reviews Neuroscience
Published
2018-12-13
Volume
20
Issue
2
Pages
83-93
ISSN
  • 1471-003X (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-0048
OpenAlex
W2904386018
Cited by
289
References
209
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 58 · 2024: 45 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 19
FWCI
2.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature reviews. Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (P01HL095491)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R21NS099787, R01NS106032)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Neuroscience of respiration and sleep
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
Keywords
narcolepsy, orexin neurons, orexin, sleep-wake regulation, autoimmune disease, neurodegeneration, treatment options
MeSH terms
Orexins, Animals, Autoimmune Diseases, Humans, Narcolepsy, Nervous System, Neurobiology

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