A brain protein that regulates sleep and anxiety may offer a target for the development of new drugs to treat conditions such as sleep and anxiety disorders and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In research with rodents, University of California, Irvine scientists found that neuropeptide S (NPS) increases alertness, suppresses sleep and controls stress response. The results indicate that NPS, first identified in 2002, is an important modulator of sleep and alertness.

"Since our knowledge of NPS is so new, we may be at the tip of iceberg in understanding its function," lead researcher Rainer Reinscheid, an assistant adjunct professor in pharmacology, said in a prepared statement.

"We've found NPS to be so active with sleep and anxiety behavior that it can be a very attractive drug target, both to enhance and to suppress its function," Reinscheid said.

The study appears in the Aug. 19 issue of Neuron.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about sleep.

Reference Source 101
Aug 18, 2004

For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick Prevention Resources".