I was reading up on sleep
disorders and I think the one that caught my eye the most was narcolepsy. This
is a condition characterized by frequent periods of sleepiness during the day
and only strikes about 1 person in 1,000. It may run in families, but some
cases show up in people with no affected relatives.Narcolepsy has four main symptoms,
although not every patient has all four.
1. Gradual or sudden
attacks of sleepiness during the day, which may occur after eating, while
driving, or even while talking to someone on the phone. These moments of
sleepiness usually only last 15 minutes but they can last longer.
2. This is categorized by occasional cataplexy – an attack of muscle weakness while the
person remains awake. During cataplexy the persons neck will fall an their
knees will buckle, they may stay in this paralyzed state for several minutes. This
is often triggered by strong emotions, such as anger and great excitement.
3. Sleep paralysis, which is an inability to move while falling
asleep or waking up. Although this is common amongst people without narcolepsy,
those with narcolepsy experience it more frequently.
4. Hypnagogic hallucinations, which are dreamlike experiences that are difficult
to distinguish from reality. These often occur at the onset of sleep.
This cause relates to the
neurotransmitter orexin. People with narcolepsy lack the hypothalamic cells
that produce and release orexin. One possibility for this lack of
neurotransmitters is an autoimmune reaction, in which the immune system attacks
part of the body – in this case, cells with orexin. Since orexin is useful in
maintaining wakefulness, people lacking orexin alternate between short waking
periods and short sleepy periods instead of staying awake throughout the day.
This topic caught my attention
mostly because I had seen a, probably, exaggerated case in a movie called Rat
Race. One of the characters in the movie had severe narcolepsy and would fall
asleep at random times throughout the movie. He would fall asleep walking or
even running sometimes. I can only imagine someone going through something like
this. It would feel as if you lost time while you were awake.
There is, unfortunately, no cure
for narcolepsy and currently the most common form of treatment is stimulant
drugs such as methylphenidate (Ritalin), which enhance dopamine and
norepinephrine activity. Some lifestyle changes you can make can include eating
lighter and healthier, perhaps a vegetarian diet. Scheduling a brief nap, 10-15
minutes, after lunch if possible. This is a chronic illness that may be very
dangerous but not deadly, and can be controlled with the proper treatment.
This video is incredible. This
lady that has narcolepsy is a great example of the condition and how traumatic
it can be for her and her loved ones.
Very interesting. I know the movie that you're talking about and it really doesn't seem like it was all that exaggerated. The only reason I say that is because in the video you posted the woman falls into cataplexy while sitting down for a meal, I can definitely see this affecting somebody while they get emotionally geared up such as that character in the movie. This makes me wonder how else a persons life would be interrupted by narcolepsy, for instance they could never travel very far alone since they may fall asleep at the wheel or they may even miss their stop while on public transportation. This seems like it would be a very inconvenient disorder, and not having a cure just makes it that much worse.
ReplyDeleteInformative! I love how you presented the information. Narcolepsy is a condition that must be difficult to deal with. One of my previous blog posts discuss this same topic and I learned so much when I was getting together the information. I would encourage you to take a look at a man named Dee who came out on the show Taboo. Dee is a man who deals with Narcolepsy and cataplexy. In his interviews he mentions that he is often stigmatized as being lazy or a drunk. A friend of his tells the interviewer that he falls asleep when he has a rush of emotion and sometimes in dangerous locations like crossing the street. One the things that impacted me the most was in a scene he is sitting there with his dog who licks him on the face and he says "your the only girl who will give me kisses".
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine being stigmatized as lazy or drunk over a condition I have no control over. Its not the idea of falling asleep that is scary, its the fact that you don't know where your going to fall asleep. Simple tasks such as walking a dog, getting the mail, and eating dinner suddenly becomes a challenge.
I haven't seen that movie...will definitely look into it :)
All in all great blog!