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Review
. 2020 Jul:194:172929.
doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172929. Epub 2020 Apr 18.

Orexins role in neurodegenerative diseases: From pathogenesis to treatment

Derbew Fikadu Berhe  1 , Abadi Kahsu Gebre  2 , Brhane Teklebrhan Assefa  3
Affiliations
Review

Orexins role in neurodegenerative diseases: From pathogenesis to treatment

Derbew Fikadu Berhe et al. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Orexin is a neurotransmitter that mainly regulates sleep/wake cycle. In addition to its sleep cycle regulatory role, it is involved in regulation of attention, energy homeostasis, neurogenesis and cognition. Several evidences has shown the involvement of orexin in narcolepsy, but there are also growing evidences that shows the disturbance in orexin system in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Epilepsy, Huntington's diseases and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pathogenesis and clinical symptoms of these disorders can be partly attributed from orexin system imbalance. However, there are controversial reports on the exact relationship between orexin and these neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the aim of this review is to summarize the current evidences regarding the role of orexin in these neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis; Epilepsy; Huntington's disease; Orexin; Parkinson's disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest We, the authors, declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any potential conflicts of interest.