#Narcolepsy and cataplexy brain professional
Questions a healthcare professional may ask on obtaining a person’s sleep history may include:
The multiple sleep latency test will take place a few hours after the polysomnography. They will sleep in the clinic overnight while a machine measures their sleep patterns. Sleep studies can help confirm a diagnosis of narcolepsy.Ī person will undergo polysomnography in a sleep clinic. conduct sleep studies, such as polysomnography and a multiple sleep latency test.take a thorough medical and sleep history.To determine whether or not a person has narcolepsy, the doctor will: In fact, it can take 5–10 years to confirm a diagnosis. This is because it tends to resemble other conditions, such as: Initially, doctors may misdiagnose narcolepsy. In people with narcolepsy, this leads to both excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime sleeping problems.Ī brain injury, tumor, or other condition that affects the brain can also sometimes lead to narcolepsy. When it is not available, the brain allows REM sleep phenomena to intrude into normal waking periods. People with type 1 narcolepsy have low levels of hypocretin, but those with type 2 do not.Ī person needs hypocretin to stay awake. The hypothalamus region of the brain produces hypocretin. It controls whether a person is asleep or awake by acting on different groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. According to the Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, it probably results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Some genetic features may increase the risk of narcolepsy, and it sometimes runs in families. This is a chemical the brain needs to stay awake. The exact cause of narcolepsy is unknown, but it likely involves a deficiency in hypocretin, or orexin. People should avoid any activity that could pose a health threat, such as using machinery or driving, until treatment is able to improve their condition. educating oneself about how drugs and alcohol can impact narcolepsy.seeking help with obtaining medications and completing disability forms, if appropriate.gaining emotional support from loved ones.A doctor may recommend the following options to help people manage these challenges: Narcolepsy can have a significant impact on a person’s quality of life. The doctor may adjust the treatment over time as symptoms change. It has few side effects and very little interaction with other drugs.Īntidepressant drugs can help a person manage cataplexy, but they can have adverse effects, such as high blood pressure and changes in heart rhythm. Sodium oxybate has approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating excessive daytime sleepiness, poor nighttime sleep, and cataplexy. They can also lead to irritability, anxiety, changes in heart rhythm, and other side effects. The other drugs are older and more likely to be habit-forming. Modafinil and armodafinil are usually the first choices. A person may need naps of 15–20 minutes throughout the day.Ī doctor may also prescribe a central nervous system stimulant to prevent sleepiness, though no drugs are likely to be completely effective. One way to manage narcolepsy is through behavior modification. The following sections will look at these in more detail. There is currently no cure for narcolepsy, but medical treatment and lifestyle tips may help.
#Narcolepsy and cataplexy brain full
After the episode, people will recover their full capacity to move and speak. Episodes can last from a few seconds to several minutes. This is an inability to move or speak while falling asleep or waking up. Triggers include strong emotions, such as surprise, laughter, or anger. This weakness is temporary, lasting 2 minutes or less, but it can lead to falls and other accidents. Some people will have only mild weakness, such as a head or jaw drop, but some may collapse to the ground. CataplexyĬataplexy refers to sudden muscle weakness that affects the face, neck, and knees. They may result from the blend of wakefulness and dreaming that occurs with REM sleep. Hypnogogic hallucinations are vivid, often frightening sensory hallucinations that occur while falling asleep. People with narcolepsy will usually have a persistent feeling of sleepiness with a tendency to doze off at intervals throughout the day, often at inappropriate times. Overall, however, a person with narcolepsy usually spends the same amount of time asleep as a person without the condition. It can also disrupt nighttime sleep patterns. The primary symptom of narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleepiness, but it may also involve cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis.
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