Narcolepsy

1. Al-Najah National university
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Name: Malik Manasrah.
Supervisor: Dr. Mahmoud
kresheh.

2. • What is narcolepsy?
• How is narcolepsy diagnosed?
• The causes of narcolepsy
• The epidemiology of narcolepsy
• Narcolepsy’s symptoms
• Narcolepsy's treatments
• Some risk factors of being narcoleptic

3. What is narcolepsy?
• Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that causes drowsiness
and frequent nap attacks during the day.
• It is NOT related to depression, seizure disorders, fainting, or
simple lack of sleep.
• The name narcolepsy comes from the French word
narcolepsie, which is a combination of the Greek word narkē
(“numbness”) and leptos (“seizure”).

4. Risk factor
•Family history
•Head trauma
•Infections, or drugs, that
affect the brain
•Anesthesia

5. What can cause narcolepsy?
• Narcolepsy is NOT a mental
illness. It is a nervous system
disorder.
• Evidence suggests that narcolepsy
may run in families.
• Scientists believe that narcolepsy
is caused by a decrease in the
amount of hypocretin.
• Hypocretin, also known as orexin,
is involved in controlling appetite
and sleep patterns.

6. What is the major symptom?
• The major symptom is excessive
daytime sleepiness.
• Sleep attacks occur with little warning
and may often occur at inappropriate
times and paces.
• These naps are physically irresistible
and take place several times per day,
usually lasting for about 15 minutes
each (can be longer).

7. What are the other symptoms?
Cataplexy
• The person suddenly loses
muscle function while
awake and cannot move.
• It can be a result of strong
emotions, such as laughter
or anger. Sleep paralysis
• The attacks can last from a • The person temporarily
few seconds to several loses the ability to talk or
minutes. move when he or she wakes
up or first becomes drowsy.

8. Automatic behavior
• A person continues to
function, such as talking and
putting objects in different
places, during sleep, but he
or she does not recall doing
such activities after
Hypnagogic hallucinations awakening.
• These are vivid, dreamlike
experiences that take place
when a person is sleeping,
falling asleep, or awakening.
• The hallucinations involve
seeing or hearing.

9. How many people are diagnosed
with narcolepsy?
• Experts estimate that around
3 million people worldwide
have narcolepsy.
• In the United States, it is
estimated that there are
around 200,000 people
affected by the disorder, but
not even a quarter of them • The usual onset of
are diagnosed. narcolepsy is in
• The prevalence is about 1 per adolescence and young
2,000 people. adulthood.

10. How does one get diagnosed with
narcolepsy?
• Two tests are commonly used to diagnose nacolepsy.
• One is the polysomnogram, which involves continuous
recording of brain waves and nerve and muscle functions
during sleep at night.
• Another is the multiple sleep latency test, or MSLT, which
involves observations made of the time taken for a person to
reach the different stages of sleep.

11. How does one get
treated?
• There is no known cure for narcolepsy.
There are only ways to control the
symptoms.
• Modafinil, a stimulant drug, is a popular
medicine for treating narcolepsy because it
is less likely to be abused than other
stimulants.
• Antidepressant drugs can reduce
cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and
hallucinations.
• Some patients also take sodium oxybate at
night.

12. What are some lifestyle adjustments
that can help cope with narcolepsy?
• Eating light meals during the day
• Avoiding heavy meals before
important events
• Napping after meals
• Planning naps ahead
• Informing teachers and
employers about the disorder

13. What are some possible complications
in daily life?
• May endanger life if sleep attacks occur while driving,
operating machinery, etc.
• Impairment of functioning at work
• Impairment of social activities
• Side effects of medicines used to treat the disorder