Peer-review started: January 30, 2015
First decision: April 27, 2015
Revised: June 4, 2015
Accepted: July 16, 2015
Article in press: July 17, 2015
Published online: September 28, 2015
Processing time: 244 Days and 3.5 Hours
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a growing health problem. It has enormous public health impact. Sleep problems show an early component of this disease. Hypocretin has a major function in sleep-wake cycle. The total number of hypocretin neurons in the normal humans ranges from 51000-83000, located exclusively in the hypothalamus. Deficiency in hypocretins neurotransmission results in narcolepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological and psychological disorders. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin levels were directly related with t-tau protein amount in AD. Increased hypocretin CSF in AD suggest that hypocretin is involved in the mechanism of AD pathology.
Core tip: Hypocretin plays an important role in the control of sleep-wake cycle. Increased hypocretin levels in Alzheimer’s disease patients suggest hypocretin system is involved during development of the disease symptoms.