7/25/2023 0 Comments Cataplexy symptomsIn contrast to fainting or falling asleep, consciousness is fully preserved during cataplexy. These milder episodes are known as partial cataplexy. More commonly, the episodes are less severe and may simply cause some slurred speech, and weakness in the face, neck, or arms. In its severe form, cataplexy can cause weakness of the face, limbs, and trunk, leading an individual to slump to the ground, awake but unable to talk or move for up to one or two minutes. Cataplexy usually develops a few months after the onset of sleepiness, though sometimes the first episode of cataplexy will occur many years after sleepiness begins. Some people have only one or two episodes of cataplexy their whole lives in others, cataplexy can occur up to 20 times each day. The weakness typically builds up over several seconds and then lasts up to one or two minutes. This suggests that the sleepiness of narcolepsy is caused by a problem with the brain circuits that normally promote full alertness, rather than poor quality or insufficient sleep.Ībout half of all people with narcolepsy have cataplexy: episodes of muscle weakness that are usually triggered by strong emotions. Similarly, most individuals with narcolepsy find that a brief, 15- to 20-minute nap substantially improves their alertness for the next one to two hours. In contrast, people with narcolepsy usually feel alert upon waking but then feel sleepy throughout much of the day, even though they have had good quality, ample nighttime sleep. As a result, people with apnea often do not feel well rested when they wake, and are sleepy during the day. Many other sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, result in both poor quality and insufficient nighttime sleep. School-age children may resume napping habits from a younger age, and the naps may be long and unrefreshing. The child may be irritable, hyperactive, or have trouble paying attention in school. In younger children, sleepiness may have a different appearance. Sometimes, people with narcolepsy can have “automatic behavior” in which they continue an activity, such as driving or taking notes in class, with little conscious awareness. This intense and persistent sleepiness often leads to inattention and drowsiness. Many people with narcolepsy report their sleepiness is similar to the feelings that others report after staying awake all night. In many, it is so intense that they frequently and unintentionally doze off while sitting in a class, riding in a car, or watching a movie. All rights reserved.Everyone with narcolepsy has some daytime sleepiness, but the severity of sleepiness varies among individuals. We performed a review of literature (MEDLINE and EMBASE database), without limited date or publication restrictions.Īngelman Syndrome Cataplexy Narcolepsy Niemann-Pick type C Disease Norrie Disease Prader-Willi Syndrome.Ĭopyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. In this review, we described few conditions of cataplexy not related to narcolepsy. Therefore, it is essential disconnecting cataplexy from narcolepsy especially in pediatric population and after use of a few medications. Yet, the most prevalent causes of cataplexy without narcolepsy are rare genetic diseases which explains why cataplexy is classically linked to narcolepsy. In addition, cataplexy can be a side effect of several drugs (eg, lamotrigine, clozapine, and gamma-hydroxybutyrate). Other causes of cataplexy include Niemann-Pick type C Disease, Angelman Syndrome, Norrie Disease, Prader-Willi Syndrome. Cataplexy is a transient loss of muscle tone that can be triggered by emotions such as laughter, excitement or fear.
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