Sleepiness and l-carnitine: mechanism of action and clinica efficacyl-carnitine

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25293056
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental physiology(including physical medicine and nutritional physiology)
• Research Institution: Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science
• Principal Investigator: HONDA Makoto 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 精神行動医学研究分野, プロジェクトリーダー (50370979)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 児玉 亨 公益財団法人東京都医学総合研究所, 認知症・高次脳機能研究分野, 副参事研究員 (20195746)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 脂肪酸代謝 / カルニチン / ナルコレプシー / 睡眠脳波

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sleepiness and L-carnitine: mechanism of action and clinical efficacy
We previously report the favorable effect of L-carnitine on the sleepiness of narcolepsy patients. We tried to address the mechanism and correlates of the efficacy of L-carnitine using animal model and objective measure on clinical study. L-carnitine improved CPT1 activity marker in brain and peripheral, and altered gene expression and metabolome such as dopamine and related genes. Sleep in narcolepsy-model mice actually improved during resting (light) period. About 40% of hypersomnia can benefit from L-carnitine. We tried to discriminate the L-carnitine responders in hypersomnia patients using clinical symptoms or EEG measures.

Free Research Field

睡眠医学　精神医学