narcolepsy

definition – chronic sleep disorder characterized by overwhelming drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep etymology – French word narcolepsie created by French physician Jean-Baptiste-Édouard Gélineau by combining the Greek narke numbness, stupor and lepsis attack, seizure causes – possible genetic conditions/diseases are associated with an increase in an individual’s risk of having the disorder, some cases caused by autoimmune disease, reduced numbers of protein-producing neurons in the brain

symptoms – excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), disturbed nocturnal sleep, disorder of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, automatic behavior, insomnia –      Cataplexy: episodic condition featuring loss of muscle function, ranging from slight weakness to complete body collapse –      Sleep paralysis: temporary inability to talk or move when waking –      Hypnagogic hallucinations: vivid, often frightening, dreamlike experiences that occur while dozing, falling asleep and/or while awakening –      Automatic behavior: person continues to function during sleep episodes, but awakens with no memory of performing such activites

Filed under: Pathology, Phase 1