Also Known As

• Gelineau’s Syndrome
• Hypnolepsy
• Narcoleptic Syndrome
• Paroxysmal Sleep

Symptoms

• Cataplexy, sudden muscle weakness while awake or with strong emotions
• Hallucinations just before falling asleep or waking up
• Episodes of Paralysis

Subdivisions

• With Cataplex
• Without Cataplexy

General Overview

• Neurological Sleep Disorder
  • Chronic, excessive attacks of drowsiness during the day, sometimes called EDS, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness.
  • Few seconds – Several minutes
  • Vary in frequency
    • Few incidents – Several times a day
    • Nighttime patterns could be disrupted
  • May be associated with “automatic behavior”
    • Having no memory of doing things
  • 1 in 2000 people are diagnosed with  narcolepsy
  • Believed to be undiagnosed/misdiagnosed in most individuals
• Evidence points to being Autoimmune Disorder
  • Body destroys brain cells that produce a peptide called hypocretin
  • Details are not known yet
• Environmental and Genetic factors may play a role in development

Onset

• Anywhere from early childhood to 50 years of age
  • Peaks around 15 and 36
  • Underdiagnosed in children 
  • Remains a lifelong condition
  • Not progressive
    • Symptoms can change in severity

Diagnosis

• Clinical Evaluation
• Two tests
  • Polysomnogram(PSG)
  • Multiple Sleep Latency Test(MSLT)
• Testing of Cerebrospinal fluid for hypocretin levels

Treatments

• Directed towards specific symptoms
  • Daytime Sleepiness and Sleep Attacks
    • Stimulants
    • Modafinil
      • FDA Approved
      • Fewer side effects than previous drugs used
  • Cataplexy
    • Xyrem
      • Also good in improving nighttime sleep
      • Serious side effects, like slowed/stopped breathing 
  • Sleep Paralysis and Hypnagogic Hallucinations
    • Certain Antidepressants
      • Prozac, Sarafem, Zoloft, Strattera, and Effexor
      • Low risk side effects
• Behavioral Modifications
  • Sleep satiation and scheduled naps to reduce daytime sleep attacks
  • systematic desensitization and stimulus control to lessen cataplexy episodes
  • imagery rehearsal therapy to reduce the frequency of and cope with hypnagogic hallucinations
  • hypnosis to decrease the severity of sleep paralysis
  • cognitive therapy to reduce adverse effects stemming from dysfunctional cognitions
  •  muscle relaxation to manage anxiety that can worsen narcolepsy symptoms
  •  diet schedule that optimizes alertness and functioning throughout the day and the quality of nighttime sleep

Similar/Related Disorders

• Idiopathic Hypersomnia
• Sleep Apnea
• Kleine-Levin Syndrome
• Brain Tumors
• Head Trauma
• Cerebral Arteriosclerosis
• Psychosis
• Excessive amounts of Protein in blood due to kidney failure

 Resources 

• webmd.com
• ncbi.nlm.nih.gov