Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep

www.wired.com

In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness.

A nasal spray containing a naturally occurring brain hormone called orexin A reversed the effects of sleep deprivation in monkeys, allowing them to perform like well-rested monkeys on cognitive tests. The discovery's first application will probably be in treatment of the severe sleep disorder narcolepsy.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Wha? Wha? What? No more coffee? This could be huge. There are all sorts of uses for this. Casinos, Military, truck drivers, and then just plain longer work days. This has many benefits as well as some scary uses.

www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I think they already have something for that.

It is called meth and is an epidemic in our culture!

reply to post by interestedalways



HAHAHA....Yeah I was thinking the same thing. So I guess they are just going to make it legal now.

Meth- get more work done

reply to post by interestedalways


Oh... don't get me started. I hate tweakers. HATE, I tell you. Hate is such a strong word -- I wish there was a stronger word.

I can see train drivers not sleeping for 3 nights then running out of this stuff whilst on duty. You know people will abuse it and anyone operating heavy machinery, well, need I say more? I thought we felt sleepy for a reason? ie the warning lights a' flashing lol

Too bad they didn't make this discovery 20 years ago when my narcolepsy was still bad. Makes you wonder if this helps with cataplexy too, I doubt that. That's the really bad part about narcolepsy imho.

This post is on a thin line. I am tempted to mention coc aine, which was discovered a long time ago and has the same effect, but that would be against forum policy, so I will refrain from going further.

other text removed.

[edit on 28-12-2007 by scientist]

Other treatments for symbtoms of narcolepsy are quite close to hard drugs too. I never went along with those and survive purely on coffeine.

[Edit] Treatments, not cures

[edit on 28/12/2007 by PsykoOps]

Nowhere does it say this will replace sleep, but it can help people stay awake during times when falling asleep will cause death, ie. military pilots needing this for long missons.

This isn't a good idea for the public since they will abuse this. At least the military will use it when needed. Some would argue that the military would use it all the time, but here's why I don't think that will happen.

Nobody knows what the side affects will be by not sleeping. Without it you start to hallucinate because your brain hasn't had time to put memories where they should be. There are other possible reasons why sleep but nothing is known for sure, at least I couldn't find any definite answer.

A drug like this is far from being available to the public, this is also mentioned. Even if it ever hits the military it will be for those who might need it, not those who want it.

At least it is based on something that happens naturally in our bodies so I hope they figure out all the pros and cons before prescribing it to anyone.

Originally posted by scientist
This post is on a thin line. I am tempted to mention coc aine, which was discovered a long time ago and has the same effect, but that would be against forum policy, so I will refrain from going further.

I, too, have utmost respect for this forum's policies and shall refrain from discussing the effects of blow.

What I am wondering though, is why is DARPA funding this research.

I would expect that pilots who have narcolepsy would be disqualified from flying.

This will not be good for our species. In the last 100 years the pace of technology and it's affect on our daily lives is putting an increasing burden on our minds and bodies. We are expected to do everything instantly for the sake of a better business and more profits. How long until employers start giving this to their employees in order to increase output and efficiency? How big of a toll will this take on our health and sanity?

I feel like an economic slave enough as it is, and now they could make us economic zombies. What about our dreams? How many other bodily processes rely on our biological clock and sleep cycle? There are times when I needed to get something done and 'sleep got in the way' but I'm always thankful when I wake up feeling energized. I don't believe this chemical could replace everything that sleep and rest does for us.

This may be a bit of an overreaction but I'm sick of every other commercial trying to sell me a pill, much less taking my sleep away. What kind of culture and society is this producing?

Yea, this doesnt sound good at all. Sleep is way too important to the human brain to even concider this kind of chemical manipulation.

A car doesnt magicly run better if you cut the wire to the dummy light telling you there is something wrong under the hood.

I would really like to see what the long term effects are. I just don't think you can deprive the body of sleep for long periods of time without doing some sort of serious damage. It would be fun to sit in on the research of this.

Originally posted by Karlhungis
I would really like to see what the long term effects are. I just don't think you can deprive the body of sleep for long periods of time without doing some sort of serious damage. It would be fun to sit in on the research of this.

For starters, permanent tics, paranoia, loss of pigmentation due to lack of melatonic production.

Didn't they do experiments like this on monkeys years ago and they went insane. Don't get me wrong there are times it would be handy to say "pass the nasal spray" but to use such a thing to get more performance out of an individual is stealing thier right to natural biorhythems, and more.

That is what has happened to child stars like Judy Garland (Dorothy, Wiz of Oz) pills to wake up, pills to sleep, ......................Geez!

reply to post by interestedalways


I know, I am thinking it would have to lead to insanity. Although it sounds like this would work different than the historical references that you provided. This seems to be acting on a different chemical. Not just using speed or blow.

But why is DARPA interested in this type of innovation? I thought they were the knew all seeing eye or more of a central data resource.

Originally posted by interestedalways
But why is DARPA interested in this type of innovation? I thought they were the knew all seeing eye or more of a central data resource.

actually, no. DARPA is in charge of lots of R&D. Mostly in technology, but as you can see, they dabble...

Originally posted by Parabol
How many other bodily processes rely on our biological clock and sleep cycle?

Not sure how many, but there is a very important one that relies on sleep:

Press release: Sleep enforces the temporal sequence in memory
Link to actual paper: Sleep Enforces the Temporal Order in Memory

Press release: Quality of Sleep Determines Where the Brain Stores Memories
Link to actual paper: Sleep transforms the cerebral trace of declarative memories (requires subscription)