Respiratory Disease
Narcolepsy
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a chronic, neurological sleep disorder with no known cause. It involves the
body's central nervous system. Narcolepsy is a genetic disorder, but what causes
narcolepsy is not yet known.
The main characteristic of narcolepsy is excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness,
even after adequate nighttime sleep. A person with narcolepsy is likely to become drowsy
or to fall asleep at inappropriate times and places, and sleep attacks may occur with or
without warning.
Attacks can occur repeatedly in a single day, drowsiness may persist for long
periods of time, and nighttime sleep may be fragmented with frequent awakenings.
What are the symptoms of narcolepsy?
- excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) - an overwhelming desire to sleep at
inappropriate times
- cataplexy - a sudden loss of muscle control ranging from slight weakness
to total collapse
- sleep paralysis - being unable to talk or move for about one minute when
falling asleep or waking up
- hypnagogic hallucinations - vivid and often scary dreams and sounds reported when falling asleep
Secondary or auxiliary symptoms include:
- automatic behavior - performing routine tasks without conscious awareness
of doing it and often without memory of it
- disrupted nighttime sleep, including multiple arousals
- Other difficulties that may be caused by primary symptoms side effects of
medication or result from one's continuing struggle to cope, including:
- feelings of intense fatigue and continual lack of energy
- depression
- difficulty in concentrating and memorizing
- vision (focusing) problems
- eating binges
- weak limbs
- difficulties in handling alcohol
How is narcolepsy diagnosed?
In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination,
diagnostic procedures may include:
- combination of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and cataplexy provide
preliminary clinical diagnosis
- laboratory tests - to confirm diagnosis and plan treatment, including:
- overnight polysomnogram (PSG) - to determine the presence
of excessive daytime sleepiness ( EDS) and perhaps other underlying causes
of this symptom
- Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) - to measure sleep
onset and how quickly rapid eye movement (REM) sleep occurs
- genetic blood test - to measure certain antigens often found in people
who have a predisposition to narcolepsy
How is narcolepsy treated?
Specific treatment will be determined by your doctor(s) based on:
- your age, overall health and medical history
- extent of the disease
- your tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies
- expectations for the course of the disease
- your opinion or preference
The goal of treatment of narcolepsy is for the patient to remain as alert as
possible during the day and to minimize any recurring episodes of cataplexy
while using a minimal amount of medication.
- medications - excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy are treated separately,
with central nervous system stimulants usually prescribed for excessive daytime
sleepiness ( EDS) and tricyclic antidepressants for cataplexy
- nap therapy - two or three short naps during the day to help control sleepiness
and maintain alertness
- proper diet
- regular exercise
This page was last updated on: January 18, 2008.
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