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Narcolepsy with cataplexy

Evidence: Antibody

Names

Description

Narcolepsy with cataplexy

Narcolepsy is a neurologic condition that causes a person to experience extreme sleepiness during the day without warning. When combined cataplexy, a similar onset of muscle weakness, the condition is suspected of being caused when the immune system attacks an important chemical in brain cells called hypocretin. The destruction of this chemical leads to the symptoms experienced by patients.

The first reports of narcolepsy being an autoimmune disease came in 2013, but retraction of that paper in 2014 put its status in doubt. Subsequent research and identification of the molecular mechanism by Mahoney et al. provides evidence and justifies classification as an autoimmune disease.

Patient Groups

Bloggers

None found

Prevalence

US Cases: 50,000 [Scheer 2017].

Typical Age of onset

Typical onset is between age 10 and 20.

Symptoms

  • Excessive daytime sleepiness and an inability to stay awake

  • Sleep disruption

  • Sudden, debilitating muscle weakness (cataplexy)

  • Paralysis while falling asleep or upon waking up (Sleep paralysis)

  • Vivid, dream-like experiences (hallucinations) while falling asleep or upon waking up