Stimulant medications to increase wakefulness during the day.Treatment for narcolepsy symptoms varies among individuals but may include: What treatment is available for narcolepsy? The results of the sleep study combined with other medical tests and a comprehensive medical history help doctors determine whether a patient has narcolepsy. Sleep studies involving a Polysomnography (PSG) followed immediately by a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) are also carried out. People with type 2 narcolepsy do not experience cataplexy and many do not experience sleep paralysis or hallucinations.ĭiagnosing narcolepsy requires a comprehensive medical history and proper clinical evaluation including a thorough physical examination and medical tests are necessary to rule out all other possible causes. Less is known about type 2 narcolepsy, some researchers believe it could encompass a variety of different conditions, including the inco mplete form of Idiopathic Hypersomnia. Type 2 Narcolepsy (narcolepsy without cataplexy). Hypocretin (also referred to as orexin) is a key neurotransmitter that helps regulate wakefulness and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Type 1 Narcolepsy (narcolepsy with cataplexy), research suggests is caused by a lack of hypocretin in the brain. Individuals will often wake up multiple times during the night due to things like insomnia, vivid-dreams, and restless legs. They can be both frightening and confusing.ĭisturbed night-time sleep: Because the sleep-wake cycle is different for people with narcolepsy, they may struggle to stay awake during the day but then also struggle to go to sleep and stay asleep at night. Hallucinations: People with narcolepsy can have visual, auditory, or tactile hallucinations which can occur upon falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking up (hypnopompic). Sleep paralysis may be experienced by about 15% of the population whether they have narcolepsy or not. Sleep paralysis: The individual is unable to move for a few seconds or minutes, usually upon falling asleep or waking up. These episodes generally last a few seconds to a few minutes. During a full body collapse the individual is fully conscious however they are unable to move, speak or open their eyes. Some may feel their head nod, jaw slacken, or their knees buckle momentarily, while others may have a full body collapse. The severity and duration of cataplexy episodes varies among individuals. Sometimes sleepiness occurs so suddenly and with such overwhelming power that it is referred to as a ‘sleep attack’.Ĭataplexy: Episodes of muscle weakness usually triggered by strong emotions such as happiness, laughter, surprise, or anger, but can also be triggered by stress, exhaustion, over stimulation, or feeling anxious or overwhelmed. While not all symptoms are experienced by or in the same way in people with narcolepsy, the main symptoms are:Įxcessive daytime sleepiness: People with narcolepsy experience extreme sleepiness during the day which often results in an irresistible urge to sleep. This also makes it difficult to provide an exact number for people living with narcolepsy, but it is estimated to be 1 in 2000. Due to low awareness (even among health professionals), and misperceptions, it usually takes several years for people with narcolepsy to receive a diagnosis while even more are currently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. While symptoms often start in childhood and adolescence, it can occur at any age, in any gender and with no previous history of narcolepsy in the family. Narcolepsy is a chronic and incurable neurological disorder that impairs the brain’s ability to regulate the sleep-wake cycle.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |