EEC 2022 | How does orexin influence sleep and seizures?

Kristina A Simeone, PhD, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, explains why the complex, dynamic interrelationship between sleep and epilepsy is obscuring our understanding of the orexin system as a promising novel therapeutic target. Orexin is known to be important in sleep-wake cycles, as well as cardiorespiratory modulation. Targeting the orexin system has been shown to improve sleep and reduce seizure burden and severity, yet it remains unclear how intertwined these functions are. Blocking the orexin receptor may be affecting both seizures and sleep independently, or its actions on one system may underly the changes seen in the other. This interview took place at the 14th European Epilepsy Congress (EEC) 2022 in Geneva, Switzerland.