![]() Conscious awareness of the environment is preserved in patients during an attack of cataplexy, although it might appear to an observer that the patient has “passed out” or “fainted”.Ī substantial proportion of people with narcolepsy type 1 also have disrupted dream sleep, which can manifest as acting out dreams (e.g., a syndrome known as REM sleep behavior disorder) and periodic leg movements in sleep. Cataplexy varies greatly in intensity and duration – from a person’s knees buckling or jaw becoming lax briefly, to their eyelids and head drooping (thus, mimicking sleep to an observer), to their falling down and being unable to move for several minutes. It is a sudden loss of muscle tone (for tens of seconds to minutes), which is provoked by emotional situations such as laughter, hearing or telling a joke, fear, or anger. These can both be frightening sensations that can last for several minutes.Ĭataplexy is a symptom unique to narcolepsy type 1. Sleep paralysis is the feeling of being paralyzed (unable to move) upon falling asleep or awakening from sleep. Hypnagogic hallucinations are dream-like auditory or visual hallucinations upon falling asleep or dozing. The abnormal features of dream sleep experienced by people with narcolepsy type 1 include hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy. ![]() These short bouts of sleep are usually refreshing or ‘restorative’ in quality, as is night-time sleep. The remainder of this section refers to narcolepsy type 1. Daytime sleepiness in people with narcolepsy type 1 typically occurs as an irresistible urge to fall asleep – sometimes referred to as a “sleep attack” - at random intervals throughout the waking day. The cause of narcolepsy type 2 is currently unknown, but it is not caused by the same problem as narcolepsy type 1. Narcolepsy type 2 shares some features in common with narcolepsy type 1 and other features in common with idiopathic hypersomnia. Narcolepsy occurs in two forms with different underlying causes: narcolepsy type 1 (which is sometimes called narcolepsy with cataplexy ) and narcolepsy type 2 (aka narcolepsy without cataplexy). Sleep time across 24 hours is typically normal. The usual age of onset is in the mid-to-late teens, although it can begin in the pre-teens or at a later age, and it is a life-long illness. ![]() What is narcolepsy? There are two different types of narcolepsy, but both share the main symptoms of daytime sleepiness and abnormal features of dream sleep (i.e, rapid-eye-movement, or, REM, sleep), such as sleep-related hallucinations and sleep paralysis. A subgroup of patients (about 1/3), especially among those with narcolepsy type 1, have disrupted nocturnal sleep with many short awakenings. For more in-depth information about the classification of hypersomnias, click HERE. If you have IH, narcolepsy, KLS, or another related disorder, you can help provide researchers with vital data by joining the Hypersomnia Foundation’s registry at CoRDS (Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford)! Because current treatments for these disorders are very similar and current research indicates that there may also be significant overlap among them, it is important to address and research them together.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |