![]() Cataplexy is believed to be caused by the intrusion of REM sleep into wakefulness.ĭuring REM sleep - the cycle where most dreaming happens - the body is paralyzed so you don’t act out your dreams, hurting yourself or others. Type 1 narcolepsy symptoms are caused by hypocretin deficiency allowing the REM stage of the sleep cycle when it is not expected. When enough of these neurons are damaged or destroyed, the body is unable to produce sufficient hypocretin. Hypocretin is produced by neurons in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Hypocretin keeps the brain alert and body awake while preventing rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Without hypocretin, the body can’t properly control sleep functions. Type 1 narcolepsy is caused by a lack of a brain chemical called hypocretin. In some people, fear and stress can also trigger cataplexy. These episodes can last a few seconds to a few minutes and are often brought on by surprise, laughter, or other emotional responses - usually positive emotions. A person may experience their jaw dropping, a knee buckling while walking, or a sudden weakness of the arms. At times, not all the muscles are affected. Sometimes the muscles only stop working on one side of the body.ĭuring a cataplectic episode, a person’s muscles suddenly go slack while they remain fully awake and aware, almost like they’re paralyzed. The muscle slackness can be as subtle as a droopy eye, or it can be more noticeable, like slumping over in their seat. Nighttime sleep disruptions - Insomnia can worsen EDSĬataplexy looks different in different people.Sleep paralysis - Times when a person wakes up but is unable to move.Hallucinations - Visual and auditory hallucinations when falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking up (hypnopompic).Cataplexy - Sudden muscle weakness that often comes on after strong emotions like surprise or fear.Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) - An overwhelming sleepiness or urge to nap, sometimes called “ sleep attacks,” during the day or even after a good night’s sleep.Only 10 percent to 25 percent of people with type 1 narcolepsy experience all five. Type 1 narcolepsy is a disorder of the brain that straddles the medical line between mind and body. The negative effects the disorder has on the people who live with it are manageable too. 3 Narcolepsy can have a debilitating impact on all aspects of a person’s life.Īlthough narcolepsy with cataplexy is a chronic condition that may or may not get worse with age, it is treatable and manageable. The symptoms of the disorder are often misunderstood and can draw stigma from others. Like narcolepsy, other primary hypersomnias are usually linked to neurological or genetic conditions, such as Kleine-Levine syndrome - a rare disorder that also causes EDS.īecause EDS, one of type 1 narcolepsy’s main symptoms, often looks like falling asleep in meetings or at school, some people may view it as laziness. A low level of hypocretin is another difference between type 1 narcolepsy and type 2 narcolepsy. As these neurons are destroyed, a deficiency of hypocretin (also called orexin) results. Type 1 narcolepsy is a result of the destruction of brain cells (neurons) that produce hypocretin, a chemical necessary for regulating the cycle of sleep and wakefulness. Primary hypersomnia means the sleep disorder is a neurological disorder, not a symptom of another illness. Narcolepsy is considered a primary hypersomnia. Even doctors who are not sleep specialists may misdiagnose it. People experiencing symptoms of the disorder often mistake them for something else. Scientists believe estimates of the number of people with narcolepsy may be low, since many people who have narcolepsy haven’t been diagnosed and don’t know they have it. Type 1 narcolepsy is easily confused with other disorders that cause EDS. Type 2 narcolepsy almost never includes cataplexy and is also known as narcolepsy without cataplexy. Cataplexy is the symptom that sets type 1 narcolepsy apart. Narcolepsy with cataplexy’s two defining symptoms are an overwhelming, often irresistible urge to sleep during the day known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and brief moments when a person’s muscles go completely slack (cataplexy). People with narcolepsy experience parts of the sleep cycle randomly, at the wrong times, throughout the day. In people with type 1 narcolepsy, the brain does not regulate sleep properly. Type 1 narcolepsy, also known as narcolepsy with cataplexy and narcolepsy-cataplexy, is a neurological disorder. What Is Type 1 Narcolepsy (Narcolepsy With Cataplexy)?
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