Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a disorder that causes a person to feel uncontrollably sleepy.

More specifically, narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition which impairs the ability of the central nervous system to regulate sleep. Throughout the course of the day narcoleptics experience strong urges to sleep. In some cases, the feeling can become so overwhelming it can cause the person to fall asleep almost immediately, for periods which can last between a few seconds to several minutes, or in rarer cases for up to an hour or more. Narcoleptic episodes can occur at any time of the day, which can affect a person's work and social life, and can even prove to be dangerous in some cases, such as an episode while driving.

There are two primary types of narcolepsy: narcolepsy with cataplexy and narcolepsy without cataplexy. Cataplexy is a condition which causes a person's muscles to suddenly become weak. In particular, the muscles in the legs, arms, or face. Normally, cataplexy is triggered by strong emotions. A common example is when people laugh or are surprised. There are several other symptoms that narcoleptics will often experience, such as sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, disturbed night time sleep, and memory problems.

Epidemiology

Click on the link above to view epidemiologic information related to narcolepsy. This will include information which relates to the incidence and distribution of narcolepsy across a population. This will also include information regarding the prevalence of narcolepsy across a population in relation to specific factors, such as ethnicity, age, gender, etc...

Symptoms & Diagnosis

Click on the link above to view information regarding the diagnosis of narcolepsy. This will describe the preferential methods used to identify patients who suffer from narcolepsy.

Treatment

Click on the link above to view information regarding the treatment of narcolepsy. This will describe the latest techniques used to help treat patients suffering from narcolepsy, as well as the rate of success and possible implications of using the respective treatment.

Co-morbidities & Consequences

Click on the link above to view information regarding the types of co-morbidities that have been identified in patients suffering from narcolepsy.

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