The news agencies, Haaretz, News and Walla!
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/brain050405.html
Researchers in the US have located a genetic mutation responsible for a sleep disorder that causes falling asleep and waking up in the early hours. The new discovery may help in finding a new treatment for the disorder, as well as for those suffering from jet lag. This is according to a study published in the journal Nature.
Most people who suffer from the disorder caused by the mutation in the gene, manage to live a normal life, and even take pride in their ability to wake up early. However, some of them find it difficult to lead a lifestyle similar to the majority of the population. "They often adjusted their work times in relation to their sleeping hours," says Dr. Louis Petachek, "however, some of them are bothered by the fact that their pace of life is not adjusted to that of the rest of the world." These people don't sleep more or less than the rest of the population, they just sleep at different times.
The researchers examined three generations in the family, in which five suffer from the sleep disorder and usually wake up around 04:00. The researchers discovered that those people suffer from a mutation in the CKY delta gene, which is responsible for the production of proteins, which play a significant role in regulating the body's activity.
The researchers injected the mutated gene into mice, which also became early risers, but they found that the opposite result was achieved after the gene was injected into flies, which woke up late. In addition, the researchers discovered that the people who were diagnosed as carriers of the mutated gene suffered from asthma and migraine in addition to the sleep disorder. Patchek added that these are probably symptoms of the disorder. "The discovery opens a narrow window, but it may shed a lot of light on the understanding of the neurobiological processes of the brain," Patchek said.
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~126381986~~~25&SiteName=hayadan
