Narcoleptic dogs still have their day
The presumed genetic mainstays of research into the sleeping disorder known as narcolepsy looked as if they might be in the doghouse last year. That’s when investigators discovered that a group of missing brain cells–not a genetic mutation found in narcoleptic Doberman pinschers and Labrador retrievers–was at the heart of the disease in people (SN: 9/2/00, p. 148). New findings have given researchers something to chew on.
Dogs with the same sudden, uncontrollable bouts of sleepiness as people with narcolepsy have helped unlock secrets of the disease. Unlike human narcolepsy, the dogs’ disease is usually caused by a single gene mutation. Now evidence from studies with dachshunds and poodles is suggesting that these small breeds may serve as better models for the more genetically complex narcolepsy in people.