Narcolepsy
A chronic sleep disorder that causes overwhelming daytime drowsiness.
The cause of narcolepsy isn’t well understood but may involve genetic factors and abnormal signaling in the brain.
Narcolepsy causes sudden attacks of sleep. Sudden loss of muscle tone and hallucinations might occur.
Stimulants, antidepressants, and other medications can help.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW130
Diagnosis: Narcolepsy
US Patients: Estimated to affect 200,000, but only 50,000 diagnosed.
World Patients:
Sex Ratio:
Age Onset: Adolescence and early adulthood
Brain Area:
Symptoms: Inability to regulate poor-quality sleep-wake cycles and brief, involuntary sleeping; 70% have catalepsy-sudden muscle weakness;
Progression: The Wikipedia article lists a number of genes and chromosomes regulating sleep, too complex for this overview.
Causes: family history 10%; loss of orexin neurons (which regulate sleep and wakefulness) in the lateral hypothalamus
Medications: Several other medications are being developed.
Therapies: regular short naps & sleep-hygiene=quiet bedroom, bed for sleep and sex only; regular bedtimes.
Youtube Video: What is Narcolepsy?
Amazon or Library Book:
My Dad Naps, Too!
Amazon or Library Book:
Waking Mathilda
Click the book to link or buy from Amazon.
Click the book to link or buy from Amazon.
Support Group: narcolepsynetwork.org; 401-667-2523
(Narcolepsy Network, Inc.)
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- Social support and isolation in narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia: An international surveyby Julie Flygare on November 19, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: People with narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia often do not know others living with the same condition, even though this is associated with feeling supported. Clinicians should assess for social support and assist with resource identification.
- Is CSF hypocretin level useful for differentiating narcolepsy type 1 and 2?by Oliviero Bruni on November 18, 2024
No abstract
- Adverse effects of glyphosate-based herbicide on hatching rate, morphological alterations, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression in golden apple snail eggsby Phochit Nanthanawat on November 16, 2024
This research investigated the effects of glyphosate herbicide on golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) eggs, focusing on hatching rates, morphological changes, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) expression to explore its potential as a biomarker of exposure. Additionally, key bioactive components in golden apple snail eggs were characterized. The study demonstrated that glyphosate toxicity increased with both exposure time and concentration. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) analysis revealed...
- Associations between T-cell traits and narcolepsy type 1: new insights from a Mendelian randomization studyby Shiqin Chen on November 15, 2024
CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the causal effects of CD4^(+) and CD8^(+) T-cells on NT1 and found several novel T-cell-related characteristics.