Etymology of narcolepsy
Narcolepsy comes from French narcolepsie, which was first used by
French physician Jean-Baptiste Edouard Gelineau in 1880. This French word came from
a combination of Greek narke, meaning stupor or numbness, and lepsis,
meaning a seizure.
Narcolepsy is considered a neurological sleep disorder. It is classified as dyssomnia
(opposite of insomnia), and results in uncontrollable sleepiness, where one may
find oneself falling asleep at inopportune times, such as at work, or at a family
gathering. Narcoleptics oftentimes have trouble sleeping through an entire night,
which can be confused with insomnia, as it appears the person cannot fall asleep
or stay asleep. A narcoleptic person will experience REM sleep after five minutes
of sleeping, while the normal sleep cycle indicates that REM should occur about
an hour after a person falls asleep.
Causes and symptoms of narcolepsy
It is important to remember that narcolepsy is neurological and not psychological,
which means that the disease is not caused by mental illness of any sort, but rather
by genetic abnormalities. One condition associated with narcolepsy was found on
Chromosome 6, in an area called the HLA complex. There was a correlation between
variations in HLA genes and narcoleptic people, but not every narcoleptic person
had the same variation in genes. In 2009, Stanford School of Medicine proved that
the variations of the HLA complex increased an autoimmune response to protein-producing
neurons found in the brain. Narcoleptic people usually have very reduced levels
of hypocretin (orexin) in the brain, which is responsible for controlling sleep
patterns and hunger.
Symptoms of narcolepsy mainly include EDS, or excessive daytime sleepiness, even
after a full night’s sleep. Three other less constant symptoms are sleep paralysis,
hypnagogic hallucinations, and cataplexy. Cataplexy involves weakening muscles,
from just a bit of weakness to complete collapse. Cataplexic episodes may last anywhere
from seconds to minutes and result from an extreme emotional response to an outside
factor. Hypnagogic hallucinations are hallucinations that occur as one is falling
asleep. Occasionally, narcoleptics also experience automatic behaviors, which means
they may act as if they are awake by doing things (like laundry, dishes, etc) but,
when they wake up, they do not remember doing any of those activities. Typically,
the first and most common symptom of narcolepsy is EDS. Very few people with narcolepsy
experience all four symptoms described here.
Treatment of narcolepsy
Narcolepsy cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Many people with narcolepsy undergo
months of treatment before finding a plan that fits their needs exactly. Drug treatment
therapy typically includes stimulants such as amphetamines in order to keep the
body from slipping into REM sleep.