Narcolepsy
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Narcolepsy is a disease of the brain. Those who suffer from it tend to fall asleep during the daytime, even if they do not want to. Things that people with narcolepsy may experience:
- Cataplexy: Suddenly having a muscle fail them. This can range from a slight weakness, and problems speaking clearly, to completely collapsing.
- Sleep paralysis: When waking up, people are paralysed (unable to move) for a certain time. The paralysis eventually goes away.
- Hallucinations, while falling asleep or waking up.
- Automatic behaviour: People continue doing things while they are asleep. Later on they do not remember.
Hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and automatic behaviour can also occur in people who are not narcoleptics. This usually happens when people are very tired, and have not slept for a long time.
At the moment, it is not known what causes narcolepsy. However, quite a few sufferers also have another family member with the disease. This may point to the fact that some of the things that cause the disease may be passed from the parents to the children through genes.
There are certain drugs that can treat the effects of narcolepsy. They can not treat the cause, since it is unknown. In general those drugs are spcial kinds of stimulants. General stimulants, like coffee, usually do not help.
[edit] External links
- http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/narcolepsy/detail_narcolepsy.htm Narcolepsy Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org
- http://www.narcolepsy.org.uk/index_html
- Read about Narcolepsy in the Sleeptionary
- What is Narcolepsy
- Narcolepsy: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment