Narcolepsy is a disabling illness affecting more than 1 in 2,000 Americans. Most individuals with the disorder are not diagnosed and are thus not treated. The disease is principally characterized by a permanent and overwhelming feeling of sleepiness and fatigue. Other symptoms involve abnormalities of dreaming sleep, such as dream-like hallucinations and finding oneself physically weak or paralyzed for a few seconds

The Stanford University Sleep Clinic was the first medical clinic ever established to specialize in sleep disorders. It was founded in the early 1970s by Dr. William Dement to diagnose and treat narcoleptic patients. The Stanford Center for Narcolepsy was established in the 1980s and is now directed by Drs. Emmanuel Mignot and Seiji Nishino.

The Center for Narcolepsy is part of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and has published more than 100 articles on narcolepsy. It is the world leader in narcolepsy research. Several hundred patients with the disorder are currently treated at the Center or participate in various research protocols. Other research protocols are conducted in animals models of narcolespy. The Stanford Center for narcolepsy was the first to report that narcolepsy-cataplexy is caused by hypocretin (orexin) abnormalities in both animal models and humans (see FAQ ).

What is narcolepsy?

The cause of narcolepsy is unknown.The neurological disorder is characterized by excessive sleepiness that is typically associated with cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles that is associated with a strong emotion) and other REM sleep abnormalities such as sleep paralysis, (Imobility of the body that occurs in the transition from sleep to wakefulness.) and hypnagogic hallucinations ( pre-sleep dreams).

What are the symptoms?

• excessive sleepiness or sudden muscle weakness

• cataplexy (a sudden loss in muscle tone and deep tendon reflexes leading to muscle weak-ness, temporary paralysis or a complete postural collapse. Cataplexy is usually brought on by an outburst of emotion - notably laugh-ter, anger or startle.) sleep paralysis hypna-gogic hallucinations

• automatic behaviors (like driving home and not remembering how you got there!)
• disrupted major sleep episode (disruption of the longest sleep episode that occurs on a daily basis)

Polysomnography shows one or more of the following:

• The onset of sleep is less than 10 minutes

• The onset of REM sleep is less than 20 minutes and

• A Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) that de-monstrates an average sleep onset of less than 5 minutes

• HLA typing demonstrates DR2 positivity (Blood contains markers for narcolepsy)

How serious is this disorder?

Narcolepsy is not a fatal disorder in itself.Narcolepsy has a great impact on functionability. Due to the excessive sleepiness, narcoleptics may fall asleep while driving and that is sometimes fatal.There are different levels of severity.Some with this disorder may have mild sleepiness or rare cataplexy (less than once per week).Others may have moderate sleepi-ness or infrequent cataplexy (less than daily). Yet others may experience severe sleepiness or severe cataplexy (daily).Narcolepsy is usually treated with a medication to improve alertness and an anti-depressant that helps control cataplexy. In February 1999, a new drug, Provigil (Modafinil) is to be distributed for use in controlling sleepiness in narcolepsy.