Some scientists think narcolepsy could also be caused by various environmental stressors that occur before the age of onset in the genetically opportunistic individuals. The main consensus among researchers is genetics. The reason for low hypocretin levels, however, is unknown. Most people who have narcolepsy have low levels of hypocretin, which is a chemical that helps control the level of a person’s wakefulness. Many advances in determining the cause of narcolepsy have been made in recent years, but a direct causation has not yet been established. Still the exact prevalence rate continues to remain unclear and the disorder may perhaps affect a bigger section of the population than what is currently estimated. Therefore about one in two thousand Americans suffer from narcolepsy. Studies have shown that Narcolepsy can be found anywhere between 25 and 50 per 100,000 people in European countries, Japan, and the US. Asians usually tend to report less severe incidents of negative emotions and hostility associated with narcolepsy, whereas Caucasian patients tend to report higher rates of cataplexy than many other ethnic groups. There are very few variations in the severity and appearance of symptoms between different ethnic groups. Having a close relative that has narcolepsy increases an individual’s risk of developing the disorder by anywhere from twenty to forty times. Narcolepsy is prevalent in relatively equal rates among males and females however it has a genetic component that predisposes individuals to develop narcolepsy. Gender and cultural differences in presentation However, narcolepsy is usually more difficult to identify in children. Frequently, narcolepsy is misdiagnosed in children as a learning disability or attention deficit disorder. Children frequently exert confusion and aggressive behaviors when woken up. Children with narcolepsy also suffer from excessive daytime drowsiness and cataplexy which is most often described as fainting in young children. Narcolepsy can occur in children as young as five, but is more prominent during adolescence, though it is also possible for it to develop during young adulthood. Approximately forty percent of individuals with narcolepsy experience comorbidity with depression, anxiety, or substance-related abuse, and some may also experience all symptomatologies associated with narcolepsy. The episodes can last anywhere from several seconds to several minutes. Occurrences of narcolepsy may be prompted by sudden emotional reactions such as anger, surprise, fear, or even laughter.

Symptoms also include hypnagogic hallucinations, automatic behavior, insomnia and fragmented sleep associated with excessive day time sleepiness (EDS). During a time of excessive sleepiness, an individual with narcolepsy may temporarily experience muscle instability leading to paralysis or cataplexy of the head and body while the person remains awake and entirely conscious. People with narcolepsy experience an inadequate order and length of NREM and REM sleep stages which are disrupted REM sleep episodes during sleep onset instead of after NREM sleep. Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder in which the brain conveys sleep evoking signals at unexpected and inappropriate times.

The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another general medical condition. Recurrent intrusions of elements of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep into the transition between sleep and wakefulness, as manifested by either hypnopompic or hypnagogic hallucinations or sleep paralysis at the beginning of end of sleep episodes.Ĭ. The presence of one or both of the following:Ĭataplexy (brief episodes of sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone, which is most often associated with intense emotion.)

Irresistible attacks of refreshing sleep that occurs daily over at least 3 months.ī.

Narcolepsy without cataplexy 347.00