Reversing Sleep Deprivation with a Whiff of Orexin-A

This week, Deadwyler et al. provide further evidence that orexin-A can counteract the effects of sleep deprivation. Adult rhesus monkeys were sleep deprived for 30–36 h using a combination of videos, music, treats, gentle rattling of their cages, and constant supervision by laboratory personnel. Sounds a lot like a college dorm. The monkeys were then tested on a delayed match-to-sample short-term memory task. Monkeys that received orexin-A, particularly by intranasal spray, showed better performance. The differences were most apparent for trials that were classified as high-load cognitive processes. The superiority of the intranasal delivery may prove useful for potential clinical applications.-Society for Neuroscience