![]() These can also occur from time to time in normal individuals.Ĭataplexy, a unique characteristic of narcolepsy, is characterized by sudden loss of bilateral muscle tone provoked by strong emotions that are usually positive, such as laughter, pride, elation, or surprise. Hypnagogic hallucinations are vivid, sometimes disturbing dreamlike experiences that occur while dozing, falling asleep and/or upon awakening. Sleep paralysis is also a normal event that many of us have experienced from time to time. Sleep paralysis is the temporary inability to talk or move when waking it may last a few seconds to minutes. A patient may, for example, continue to write sentences in a letter or work on the computer, but the output will be nonsensical. In cases in which sleepiness is severe, a symptom called “automatic behavior” is occasionally observed: the patient continues an activity in a semiautomatic fashion without memory or consciousness. Sudden and often irresistible sleep attacks (that is, a sudden onset of sleep or involuntary sleep episodes) may also occur in unusual situations such as eating, walking, or driving. Sleepiness is more likely to occur in boring monotonous situations that require no active participation, for example, watching television. ![]() The pattern repeats itself through the day. Patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy typically sleep for a short duration and awaken refreshed but within two or three hours begin to feel sleepy again. It is characterized by repeated episodes of naps or lapses into sleep across the daytime. Many of the symptoms of narcolepsy are due to an unusual proclivity to transition rapidly from wakefulness into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and to experience dissociated REM sleep events.Įxcessive daytime sleepiness is usually the most disabling symptom and the first to occur. Narcolepsy is a disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness in addition to other symptoms such as sleep paralysis, cataplexy, hallucinations upon waking or falling asleep, automatic behaviors, difficulty maintaining sleep or disturbed night time sleep, and, often, obesity. You can read more about these disorders below. Further blood tests and cerebrospinal fluid testing may be performed if narcolepsy is suspected. ![]() Recurrent Hypersomnia (Klein Levin Syndrome)ĭiagnosis of these disorders is made based on clinical symptoms often combined with an overnight sleep study and a daytime nap study called a Multiple Sleep Latency Test.The main types of hypersomnias include the following: ![]() This excessive daytime sleepiness cannot be due to insufficient sleep (sleep deprivation), disturbed nocturnal sleep, insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep-related breathing (sleep apnea) disorders or medical issues in order to be classified as a hypersomnia or narcolepsy. Hypersomnias refer to a group of disorders for which excessive daytime sleepiness is the core symptom. ![]()
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