Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. At various times throughout the day, people with narcolepsy experience fleeting urges to sleep. If the urge becomes overwhelming, individuals will fall asleep for periods lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, some people may remain asleep for an hour or longer. In addition to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), three other major symptoms frequently characterize narcolepsy: cataplexy, or the sudden loss of voluntary muscle tone; vivid hallucinations during sleep onset or upon awakening; and brief episodes of total paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep. Narcolepsy is not definitively diagnosed in most patients until 10 to 15 years after the first symptoms appear. The cause of narcolepsy remains unknown. It is likely that narcolepsy involves multiple factors interacting to cause neurological dysfunction and sleep disturbances.
None of the currently available medications enables people with narcolepsy to consistently maintain a fully normal state of
alertness. But EDS and cataplexy, the most disabling symptoms of the disorder, can be controlled in most patients with drug treatment.
Often the treatment regimen is modified as symptoms change. Whatever the age of onset, patients find that the symptoms tend
to get worse over the two to three decades after the first symptoms appear. Many older patients find that some daytime symptoms
decrease in severity after age 60.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other institutes of the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) conduct research into narcolepsy and other sleep disorders in laboratories at the NIH and also support additional research
through grants to major medical institutions across the country. The NINDS continues to support investigations into the basic
biology of sleep, including the brain mechanisms involved in generating and regulating sleep. Within the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, also a component of the NIH, the
Narcolepsy Network, Inc. 79 Main Street North Kingstown, RI 02852 narnet@narcolepsynetwork.org http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org Tel: 888-292-6522 401-667-2523 Fax: 401-633-6567 |
National Sleep Foundation 1522 K Street NW Suite 500 Washington, DC 20005 nsf@sleepfoundation.org http://www.sleepfoundation.org Tel: 202-347-3472 Fax: 202-347-3472 |
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 31 Center Drive, Rm. 4A21 MSC 2480 Bethesda, MD 20892-2480 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov Tel: 301-592-8573/240-629-3255 (TTY) Recorded Info: 800-575-WELL (-9355) |
Prepared by:
Office of Communications and Public Liaison
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892
NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.
All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.
Last updated September 29, 2008