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.
- Executive function performance in children and adolescent patients with narcolepsy type 1by Mengmeng Wang on May 16, 2024
CONCLUSION: The findings showed that executive function was impaired among children and adolescent patients with NT1, which was associated with objective sleep parameters. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the necessity of neuropsychological assessments and early interventions among children and adolescent NT1 patients.
- Hits and misses with animal models of narcolepsy and the implications for drug discoveryby Ramakrishna Nirogi on May 15, 2024
INTRODUCTION: Narcolepsy is a chronic and rare neurological disorder characterized by disordered sleep. Based on animal models and further research in humans, the dysfunctional orexin system was identified as a contributing factor to the pathophysiology of narcolepsy. Animal models played a larger role in the discovery of some of the pharmacological agents with established benefit/risk profiles.
- Challenges in the Management of Narcolepsy in a Resource Limited Setting: A Case Reportby Joseph Yaria on May 13, 2024
The management of Narcolepsy, from the initial presentation to the long-term management and follow-up, remains a challenging endeavor, especially in developing climes. Worldwide, it has been recognized as a medical condition that is frequently associated with initial misdiagnoses, and delays in definitive management, further highlighted, in resource-limited settings like Nigeria where issues are further compounded by social, cultural, and political factors. In this report, we aim to shed some...
- Correlation analysis between HLA-DQA1*0102/DQB1*0602 genotypes and narcolepsy patients in Chinaby Wanyu Zhao on May 10, 2024
CONCLUSION: Different genotypes of HLA-DQA1*0102/DQB1*0602 are associated with symptoms of cataplexy in Chinese narcoleptic patients. Homozygous individuals have a shorter mean REM latency in the MSLT, greater genetic susceptibility, and relatively more severe sleepiness.