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Snortable Drug 'Replaces' Sleep For Monkeys In Trials

Posted by Zonk on from the could-definitely-have-used-this-in-college dept.

sporkme writes "A DARPA-funded research project at UCLA has wrapped up a set of animal trials testing the effects of inhalation of the brain chemical orexin A, a deficiency of which is a characteristic of narcolepsy. Monkeys were deprived of sleep, and then given a shot of the compound. 'The study ... found orexin A not only restored monkeys' cognitive abilities but made their brains look "awake" in PET scans. Siegel said that orexin A is unique in that it only had an impact on sleepy monkeys, not alert ones, and that it is 'specific in reversing the effects of sleepiness' without other impacts on the brain.' Researchers seem cautious to bill the treatment as a replacement for sleep, as it is not clear that adjusting brain chemistry could have the same physical benefits of real sleep in the long run. The drug is aimed at replacing amphetamines used by drowsy long-haul military pilots, but there would no doubt be large demand for such a remedy thanks to its apparent lack of side-effects."

10 of 236 comments (clear)

  1. 2 am post by Plazmid · · Score: 4, Funny

    A 2 am post about a drug to replace sleep, now isn't that ironic!

    1. Re:2 am post by Plunky · · Score: 3, Funny

      yes it is

  2. Re:Replacement for sleep? by the_humeister · · Score: 4, Funny

    Exactly. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're not after you...

  3. Will Smith said not to research crazy new drugs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know who else don't need sleep?

    Zombies.

  4. Re:Pilots on meth? by cheater512 · · Score: 2, Funny

    No no no of course pilots arent taking meth while flying.

    Its just the military pilots. You know, the ones with nukes strapped to their plane. :D

  5. Re:Speculation by Disseminated · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well that sure beats the hell out of a car analogy!

  6. Dear God! by krs804 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't let my boss see this.

  7. Re:Speculation by memfrob · · Score: 3, Funny

    There is a family that (I think) has a prion disease such that if a family member gets it, they stay awake until they die a few months later - and it sounds like a very horrible death too.

    *shudder* That's the sort of horror story that keeps me up at night...

    --
    The Wizard utters the word 'frobnoid!' and cackles gleefully
  8. Re:But can it *replace* sleep? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, leave it to science to try to replace the one part of my life that I really, unconditionally adore. I'm a reasonably productive person, and I've done quite a lot in my half-life, but there's nothing like 9 lines of uninterrupted coke to make me a wonderfully happy man. I love my wife and kid. Food and sex are great. But coke... Cocaine is like the best bottle of wine you ever drank, powdered. It's like falling in love every single night. It's a fabulous journey, it's a long-sought homecoming. It's a precious fluid dropped on a parched tongue.

    A drug that would make cocaine unnecessary?

    Pass.

  9. Re:But can it *replace* sleep? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wait a second...

    You have a wife and kid... and get 9 hours of UNINTERRUPTED sleep?

    Here I thought 3 hours of interrupted sleep was asking too much.