Figure 1. Cataplexy-Inhibiting Neuronal Pathway Revealed in This Study (IMAGE)

Kanazawa University

Figure 1. Cataplexy-Inhibiting Neuronal Pathway Revealed in This Study

Caption

External stimulus causing excitement such as laughter by a joke augments the amygdala activity. In narcolepsy patient (left) lacking orexin neurons, activities of the amygdala become excessive, causing cataplexy. In healthy person (right), orexin neurons augment the activities of serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus, which reduce activities of the amygdala due to increased release of serotonin in the amygdala, which in turn inhibits cataplexy.

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Kanazawa University

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