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\"Whether it's a bout of bad jet lag or a stress-induced all-nighter, we've all suffered from nights that left us feeling less than well-rested. But for some people, getting a bad night's sleep isn't just an inconvenience: it's a nightmare. In Sleepyhead, science writer Henry Nicholls uses his own experience with chronic narcolepsy as a gateway to better understanding the cryptic, curious, and relatively uncharted world of sleep disorders. We meet insomniacs who can't get any sleep, narcoleptics who can't control when they sleep, and sleep apnea victims who nearly suffocate in their sleep. We learn the underlying difference between morning larks and night owls; why our sleeping habits shift as we grow older; and the evolutionary significance of REM sleep and dreaming. Charming, eye-opening, and deeply humanizing, Sleepyhead will help us all uncover the secrets of a good night's sleep.\" -- Publisher's description.

Narcolepsy is a rare brain disorder that reflects a selective loss or dysfunction of orexin (also known as hypocretin) neurons of the lateral hypothalamus. Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, accompanied by sleep–wake symptoms, such as hallucinations, sleep paralysis and disturbed sleep. Diagnosis is based on these clinical features and supported by biomarkers: evidence of rapid eye movement sleep periods soon after sleep onset; cerebrospinal fluid orexin deficiency; and positivity for HLA-DQB1*06:02. Symptomatic treatment with stimulant and anticataplectic drugs is usually efficacious. This Review focuses on our current understanding of how genetic, environmental and immune-related factors contribute to a prominent (but not isolated) orexin signalling deficiency in patients with NT1. Data supporting the view of NT1 as a hypothalamic disorder affecting not only sleep–wake but also motor, psychiatric, emotional, cognitive, metabolic and autonomic functions are presented, along with uncertainties concerning the ‘narcoleptic borderland’, including narcolepsy type 2 (NT2). The limitations of current diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy are discussed, and a possible new classification system incorporating the borderland conditions is presented. Finally, advances and obstacles in the symptomatic and causal treatment of narcolepsy are reviewed.

Nine-year-old Nicholas Benedict, an orphan afflicted with an unfortunate nose and with narcolepsy, is sent to a new orphanage where he encounters vicious bullies, selfish adults, strange circumstances, and a mystery that could change his life forever.

Narcolepsy type 1 is caused by severe loss or lack of brain orexin neuropeptides. We conducted a phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of TAK-994, an oral orexin receptor 2-selective agonist, in patients with narcolepsy type 1. Patients with confirmed narcolepsy type 1 according to clinical criteria were randomly assigned to receive twice-daily oral TAK-994 (30 mg, 90 mg, or 180 mg) or placebo. The primary end point was the mean change from baseline to week 8 in average sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep) on the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (range, 0 to 40 minutes; normal ability to stay awake, ≥20 minutes). Secondary end points included the change in the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score (range, 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating greater daytime sleepiness; normal, <10) and the weekly cataplexy rate. Of the 73 patients, 17 received TAK-994 at a dose of 30 mg twice daily, 20 received 90 mg twice daily, 19 received 180 mg twice daily, and 17 received placebo. The phase 2 trial and an extension trial were terminated early owing to hepatic adverse events. Primary end-point data were available for 41 patients (56%); the main reason for missing data was early trial termination. Least-squares mean changes to week 8 in average sleep latency on the MWT were 23.9 minutes in the 30-mg group, 27.4 minutes in the 90-mg group, 32.6 minutes in the 180-mg group, and -2.5 minutes in the placebo group (difference vs. placebo, 26.4 minutes in the 30-mg group, 29.9 minutes in the 90-mg group, and 35.0 minutes the 180-mg group; P<0.001 for all comparisons). Least-squares mean changes to week 8 in the ESS score were -12.2 in the 30-mg group, -13.5 in the 90-mg group, -15.1 in the 180-mg group, and -2.1 in the placebo group (difference vs. placebo, -10.1 in the 30-mg group, -11.4 in the 90-mg group, and -13.0 in the 180-mg group). Weekly incidences of cataplexy at week 8 were 0.27 in the 30-mg group, 1.14 in the 90-mg group, 0.88 in the 180-mg group, and 5.83 in the placebo group (rate ratio vs. placebo, 0.05 in the 30-mg group, 0.20 in the 90-mg group, and 0.15 in the 180-mg group). A total of 44 of 56 patients (79%) receiving TAK-994 had adverse events, most commonly urinary urgency or frequency. Clinically important elevations in liver-enzyme levels occurred in 5 patients, and drug-induced liver injury meeting Hy's law criteria occurred in 3 patients. In a phase 2 trial involving patients with narcolepsy type 1, an orexin receptor 2 agonist resulted in greater improvements on measures of sleepiness and cataplexy than placebo over a period of 8 weeks but was associated with hepatotoxic effects. (Funded by Takeda Development Center Americas; TAK-994-1501 and TAK-994-1504 ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT04096560 and NCT04820842.).

In this phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 112 participants with narcolepsy type 1, oveporexton significantly improved measures of wakefulness, sleepiness, and cataplexy over a period of 8 weeks.

Narcolepsy affects approximately 1 in 2000 people but is often not correctly diagnosed. This review article summarizes recent discoveries regarding the neurobiologic features of this condition and describes a practical clinical approach to effective treatment. Narcolepsy, one of the most common causes of chronic sleepiness, affects about 1 in 2000 people. Despite the frequency of narcolepsy, the average time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis is 5 to 15 years, and narcolepsy may remain undiagnosed in as many as half of all affected people with narcolepsy, since many clinicians are unfamiliar with this disorder. 1 Fortunately, awareness of narcolepsy and other sleep disorders is increasing, and over the past several years researchers have made great progress in understanding narcolepsy. Clinicians now recognize two types of narcolepsy. Type 1 is caused by extensive loss of hypothalamic . . .

Abstract Study Objectives Post hoc analyses from the phase 3 REST-ON trial evaluated efficacy of extended-release once-nightly sodium oxybate (ON-SXB; FT218) vs placebo for daytime sleepiness and disrupted nighttime sleep in narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) and 2 (NT2). Methods Participants were stratified by narcolepsy type and randomized 1:1 to ON-SXB (4.5 g, week 1; 6 g, weeks 2–3; 7.5 g, weeks 4–8; and 9 g, weeks 9–13) or placebo. Assessments included mean sleep latency on Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) rating (coprimary endpoints) and sleep stage shifts, nocturnal arousals, and patient-reported sleep quality, refreshing nature of sleep, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score (secondary endpoints) separately in NT1 and NT2 subgroups. Results The modified intent-to-treat population comprised 190 participants (NT1, n = 145; NT2, n = 45). Significant improvements were demonstrated with ON-SXB vs placebo in sleep latency for NT1 (all doses, p < .001) and NT2 (6 and 9 g, p < .05) subgroups. Greater proportions of participants in both subgroups had CGI-I ratings of much/very much improved with ON-SXB vs placebo. Sleep stage shifts and sleep quality significantly improved in both subgroups (all doses vs placebo, p < .001). Significant improvements with all ON-SXB doses vs placebo in refreshing nature of sleep (p < .001), nocturnal arousals (p < .05), and ESS scores (p ≤ .001) were reported for NT1 with directional improvements for NT2. Conclusions Clinically meaningful improvements of a single ON-SXB bedtime dose were shown for daytime sleepiness and DNS in NT1 and NT2, with less power for the limited NT2 subgroup. Graphical Abstract

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder caused by the loss of neurons that produce hypocretin. The close association with HLA-DQB1*06:02 , evidence for immune dysregulation and increased incidence upon influenza vaccination together suggest that this disorder has an autoimmune origin. However, there is little evidence of autoreactive lymphocytes in patients with narcolepsy. Here we used sensitive cellular screens and detected hypocretin-specific CD4 + T cells in all 19 patients that we tested; T cells specific for tribbles homologue 2—another self-antigen of hypocretin neurons—were found in 8 out of 13 patients. Autoreactive CD4 + T cells were polyclonal, targeted multiple epitopes, were restricted primarily by HLA-DR and did not cross-react with influenza antigens. Hypocretin-specific CD8 + T cells were also detected in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of several patients with narcolepsy. Autoreactive clonotypes were serially detected in the blood of the same—and even of different—patients, but not in healthy control individuals. These findings solidify the autoimmune aetiology of narcolepsy and provide a basis for rapid diagnosis and treatment of this disease. The detection of hypocretin-specific autoreactive CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in patients with narcolepsy reveals the autoimmune aetiology of this disorder.

Narcolepsy is a chronic, burdensome neurologic disorder that significantly impacts the daily life of people with narcolepsy (PWN). Real-world perspectives from PWN can help address their unique experiences and treatment needs. PWN were surveyed to examine the path to a narcolepsy diagnosis, the breadth of symptom burden experienced by PWN, and current trends in treatment. A 15-min online survey was sent by email to 3959 US members of MyNarcolepsyTeam (February 2022). The survey was divided into three sections (screening [patient characteristics], diagnosis/symptoms, and patient quality of life) for a total of 27 questions. In total, 110 members completed the survey. Of these, most were female (84%) and nearly half (48%) were diagnosed with narcolepsy type 1 (with cataplexy). Approximately one-third (31%) of members reported receiving a definitive diagnosis ≥ 10 years after first speaking with a clinician; most were previously diagnosed with depression (73%). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS, 93%) and fatigue (84%) were the most frequently reported symptoms that prompted respondents to seek a diagnosis or feel that something was wrong. Additionally, EDS was reported as the most troubling symptom (92%). Respondents' most desired treatment outcome was to stop sleeping during the day (77%). Most (76%) indicated an extremely or very severe impact on daily life. One in eight respondents were not taking any medication for their narcolepsy. Of those taking medication, 58% received polypharmacy to address narcolepsy symptoms. These survey findings further characterize the diagnostic delay, symptom burden, and treatment needs of PWN. Understanding the breadth of impact of narcolepsy from the patients' perspective could improve shared decision-making between PWN and their treating clinicians.

Abstract Study Objectives To evaluate long-term safety and maintenance of efficacy of solriamfetol treatment for excessive daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods Participants with narcolepsy or OSA who completed a prior solriamfetol study were eligible. A 2-week titration period was followed by a maintenance phase (up to 50 weeks). Efficacy was assessed by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Patient and Clinical Global Impression of Change (PGI-C and CGI-C, respectively). After approximately 6 months of treatment, a subgroup entered a 2-week placebo-controlled randomized withdrawal (RW) phase. Change in ESS from beginning to end of the RW phase was the primary endpoint; PGI-C and CGI-C were secondary endpoints. Safety was assessed throughout the study. Results In the maintenance phase, solriamfetol-treated participants demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements on ESS, PGI-C, and CGI-C. In the RW phase, least squares mean change on ESS was 1.6 in participants continuing solriamfetol versus 5.3 in participants switched to placebo (p < .0001). For both secondary endpoints, higher percentages of participants receiving placebo were reported as worse at the end of the RW phase versus solriamfetol (p < .0001). Common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) with solriamfetol were headache, nausea, nasopharyngitis, insomnia, dry mouth, anxiety, decreased appetite, and upper respiratory tract infection; 27 (4.2%) participants experienced at least one serious TEAE, and 61 (9.5%) withdrew because of TEAEs. Conclusions This study demonstrated long-term maintenance of efficacy of solriamfetol under open-label and double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions. Safety profile of solriamfetol was consistent with previous 12-week studies; no new safety concerns were identified. Trial Registration NCT02348632