The Orexin/Hypocretin System: Functional Roles and Therapeutic Potential

The Orexins/Hypocretins System: Functional Roles and Therapeutic Potential summarizes research on both the physiological functioning of orexins, their impact on homeostatic processes, and related disorders. The book encompasses the effects on appetite, sleep, substance abuse, cognition, and anxiety. Additionally, it examines new therapeutic approaches utilizing orexins, including utilization of orexin receptors for drug development. It is essential reading for neuroscience researchers interested in brain-behavior relationships, as well as psychiatrists, endocrinologists and pharmacologists.

Provides an overview of new research on orexins/hypocretinsIncludes an overview of intracellular signaling and orexin physiologyDiscusses the effects on arousal, appetite, cognition, addiction and anxietyExamines orexin based therapies and their potential use in disordersExplores orexin receptors for drug development

Part 1: Introduction 1. Hypocretins (orexins): 20 years of dissecting arousal circuits 2. Orexins and motivated behaviors

Part 2: Orexins and Sleep 3. Orexins and the stabilization of wake/sleep states 4. Orexins and narcolepsy in animal models

Part 3: Orexins and Feeding 5. Orexin’s role in motivated behavior for food 6. Orexin drives energy expenditure

Part 4. Orexins and Drug Abuse 7. Orexins/hypocretins and addiction 8. Hypocretin 1 receptor regulation of dopaminergic signaling and motivated behavior 9. Orexins and opioid addiction

Part 5: Orexins and Cognition 10. Orexins and cognition: neurochemical and anatomical substrates 11. The hypocretin/orexin system and fear learning

Part 6: Orexins and Psychological Disorders 12. Orexins and anxiety disorders 13. Orexins as targets for treating brain disorders