Dopamine fends off zzzzz’s

The chemical keeps sleep-deprived people going

A reward chemical in the brain is a real eye-opener.

Dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical, helps keep sleep-deprived people awake, researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse show in the August 20 Journal of Neuroscience. Dopamine is also required for activity of a drug that treats narcolepsy, Japanese and Chinese scientists report in the same issue of the journal.