Narcolepsy
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- Narcolepsy Index
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Narcolepsy
Medical Author: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
- What is narcolepsy?
- How common is narcolepsy?
- What causes narcolepsy?
- What are the symptoms of narcolepsy?
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)
- Cataplexy
- Hypnagogic hallucinations
- Sleep palsy
- Additional symptoms
- How is narcolepsy diagnosed?
- How is narcolepsy treated?
- Medications
- Non-drug treatments
- What is the outcome (prognosis) for patients with narcolepsy?
- What’s in the future for narcolepsy?
- Narcolepsy At A Glance
- For more information
What is narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the main symptom and is present in 100% of patients with narcolepsy. Other primary symptoms of narcolepsy include:
- loss of pain relief/muscle relaxant tone (cataplexy),
- distorted perceptions (hypnagogic hallucinations), and
- inability to move or talk (sleep paralysis).
Additional symptoms contain disturbed nocturnal sleep and automatic behavior (patients carry out certain actions without conscious awareness). All of the symptoms of narcolepsy may be present in various combinations and degrees of cruel treatment.
Narcolepsy usually begins in teenagers or young adults and affects both sexes equally. The first symptom to appear is excessive daytime sleepiness, which may remain unrecognized for a long time in that it develops gradually into the bargain time. The other symptoms can follow excessive daytime sleepiness through months or years.
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