Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles.[1] Symptoms often include periods of excessive daytime sleepiness and brief involuntary sleep episodes.[1] Narcolepsy paired with cataplexy is evidenced to be an autoimmune disorder.[3] These experiences of cataplexy can be brought on by strong emotions. Less commonly, there may be vivid hallucinations or an inability to move (sleep paralysis) while falling asleep or waking up. People with narcolepsy tend to sleep about the same number of hours per day as people without it, but the quality of sleep tends to be lessened.[1]
Narcolepsy is a clinical syndrome of hypothalamic disorder,[4] but the exact cause of narcolepsy is unknown, with potentially several causes.[5] In up to 10% of cases, there is a family history of the disorder. Often, those affected have low levels of the neuropeptide orexin, which may be due to an autoimmune disorder triggered in genetically susceptible individuals by infection with H1N1 influenza.[6] In rare cases, narcolepsy can be caused by traumatic brain injury, tumors, or other diseases affecting the parts of the brain that regulate wakefulness or REM sleep. Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms and sleep studies, after ruling out other potential causes. Excessive daytime sleepiness can also be caused by other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, anemia, heart failure, drinking alcohol and not getting enough sleep. The accompanying cataplexy may be mistaken for seizures.[1]
While there is no cure, a number of lifestyle changes and medications may help. Lifestyle changes include taking regular short naps and sleep hygiene. Medications used include modafinil, sodium oxybate and methylphenidate. While initially effective, tolerance to the benefits may develop over time. Tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may improve cataplexy.[1]
Estimates of frequency range from 0.2 to 600 per 100,000 people in various countries.[2] The condition often begins in childhood, with males and females being affected equally. Untreated narcolepsy increases the risk of motor vehicle collisions and falls.[1]
Narcolepsy generally occurs anytime between early childhood and 50 years of age, and most commonly between 15 and 36 years of age. However, it may also rarely appear at any time outside of this range.[7]
^ abcdefghijklmnop"Narcolepsy Fact Sheet". NINDS. NIH Publication No. 03-1637. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
^ abGoswami M, Thorpy MJ, Pandi-Perumal SR (2016). Narcolepsy: A Clinical Guide (2nd ed.). Springer. p. 39. ISBN 9783319237398. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
^"Narcolepsy with cataplexy". Autoimmune Registry Inc. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
^Kim H, Ayele GM, Atalay RT, Hussien S, Tewoldemedhin B, Michael MB, Scharf SM (July 2022). "What Works for One May Not Work for Another: A New Warning for Modafinil". Cureus. 14 (7): e27287. doi:10.7759/cureus.27287. PMC 9413809. PMID 36043022.
^"Narcolepsy Information Page". NINDS. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference mignot2018 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that involves a decreased ability to regulate sleep–wake cycles. Symptoms often include periods of excessive...
crying, or terror. Cataplexy affects approximately 20% of people who have narcolepsy, and is caused by an autoimmune destruction of hypothalamic neurons that...
Pediatric narcolepsy refers to conditions of narcolepsy during childhood and adolescence (during the ages 18 years and younger). In a pediatric setting...
condition may occur in those who are otherwise healthy or those with narcolepsy, or it may run in families as a result of specific genetic changes. The...
others, is a wakefulness-promoting medication used primarily to treat narcolepsy. Modafinil is also approved for stimulating wakefulness in people with...
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sleepiness. Obstructive sleep apnea "occurs frequently in narcolepsy and may delay the diagnosis of narcolepsy by several years and interfere with its proper management...
strain. Pandemrix was found to be associated with an increased risk of narcolepsy following investigations by Swedish and Finnish health authorities and...
million people. Other diseases that may be tied to microsleeps include narcolepsy, hypersomnia, schizophrenia, and other causes of excessive daytime sleepiness...
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attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and, to a lesser extent, narcolepsy. It is a primary medication for ADHD (e.g. in the UK); it may be taken...
medication used in the treatment of excessive sleepiness related to narcolepsy and sleep apnea. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects of solriamfetol...
oxybates; in addition to several off-label treatments (primarily FDA-approved narcolepsy medications). Idiopathic hypersomnia may also be referred to as IH, IHS...
used for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in adults with narcolepsy. It is a histamine 3 (H3) receptor antagonist/inverse agonist (an antihistamine...
certain sleep disorders including excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in narcolepsy or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Eugeroics are also often prescribed...
as are a number of other conditions such as sleep apnea, insomnia and narcolepsy. The body clock disorders are classified as extrinsic (externally caused)...
memories. During the WASO Live in Perth concert, Folds describes the song "Narcolepsy" as "about going to sleep, but it's about the kind of going to sleep that...
treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, and narcolepsy in some countries. Levoamphetamine is the levorotatory stereoisomer of...
exists in the forms of orexin-A and orexin-B. The most common form of narcolepsy, type 1, in which the individual experiences brief losses of muscle tone...
the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. It has been discontinued in most countries due to rare but serious problems...
improve cognitive performance, as well as treating ADHD, depression, and narcolepsy. Amphetamine type stimulants are also known for their addictive property...
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to narcolepsy. This is logical, as the raphe nuclei have been known to play a role in the sleep/wake cycle. Cataplexy is the symptom of narcolepsy when...
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