Study objectives: Recent CSF and postmortem brain hypocretin measurements in human narcolepsy suggest that hypocretin deficiency is involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. In this study, we measured CSF hypocretin-1 levels in various age ranges from infants to elder people to investigate the age-dependent change of hypocretin concentrations.
Design: CSF hypocretin levels were compared by age groups and gender. ANOVA was used to examine the influences of these two parameters on CSF hypocretin levels.
Setting: University-based sleep and biology laboratory.
Patients or participants: Two hundred seventy two patients were included in this study, with 157 males and 115 females (0-79 years old).
Interventions: CSF samples were obtained by lumber punctures with informed consents.
Measurements and results: Hypocretin-1 levels are not different in respect to gender or age, although our samples constitute a heterogeneous group with various disease conditions. CSF hypocretin-1 levels in infants under 4 months are similar to those in adults.
Conclusions: Early maturation of hypocretin transmission is suggested. No age- or gender-dependent changes in CSF hypocretin is observed.