What is it about?
Have you ever stayed in a hotel and found it hard to sleep on the first night, only to sleep much better the next night? We discovered a group of brain cells that turn on when an animal enters a new place. These cells release a molecule called neurotensin, which helps keep the brain awake and alert in unfamiliar environments.
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Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash
Why is it important?
Today, about one in five people is thought to have some kind of sleep problem. Ongoing sleep disturbances are now known to increase the risk of many other health issues. Our findings could help lead to new treatments for sleep disorders, improving sleep quality and potentially supporting longer, healthier lives.
Perspectives
Given the substantial conservation of brain function between mice and humans, we believe these results may ultimately inform the development of novel therapeutic strategies for human sleep disorders.
Daisuke Ono
Nagoya University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Neurotensin in the extended amygdala maintains wakefulness in novel environments, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, February 2026, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2521268123.
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