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Anaesthesia => Psychiatry => Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy, disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable sleep attacks that may last for minutes or hours and that may occur several times per day. Other symptoms include brief periods of paralysis while the sufferer is either awake or asleep, and hallucinations at the time when sleep begins. The cause of narcolepsy is unknown, but it may be genetic in part; it may also possibly be linked to unusual amounts of the neurotransmitters acetylcholine and dopamine in the brain. The onset of narcolepsy usually occurs in adolescence or early adulthood, and it persists throughout life. Brain studies can distinguish the disorder from other conditions with similar symptoms, such as encephalitis. Amphetamines and other stimulants are readily used to prevent attacks. In December 1998, a new drug, known generically as modafinil, was approved by the United States government to combat narcolepsy. Modafinil works by specifically targetting the hypothalamus and other brain regions that regulate the sleep-wake cycle. The side effects of the drug appear to be less frequent and severe than those associated with amphetamines, nor does it cause the "high" or "crash" effects that amphetamines can have.
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