Question: What is (are) Narcolepsy ?
Answer: Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disorder that involves poor control of sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy have episodes of extreme daytime sleepiness and sudden, irresistible bouts of sleep (called "sleep attacks") that can occur at any time, and may last from seconds or minutes. Other signs and symptoms may include cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone that makes a person go limp or unable to move); vivid dream-like images or hallucinations; and/or total paralysis just before falling asleep or after waking-up. Narcolepsy may have several causes, the most common being low levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin (for various possible reasons). The disorder is usually sporadic but some cases are familial. There is no cure, but some symptoms can be managed with medicines and lifestyle changes.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Narcolepsy ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Narcolepsy? The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Narcolepsy. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Hallucinations 90% Memory impairment 90% Muscle weakness 90% Reduced consciousness/confusion 90% Sleep disturbance 90% Abnormality of eye movement 50% Neurological speech impairment 7.5% Obesity 7.5% Sudden cardiac death 7.5% Abnormal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Cataplexy - Excessive daytime sleepiness - Heterogeneous - Hypnagogic hallucinations - Hypnopompic hallucinations - Narcolepsy - Paroxysmal drowsiness - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Narcolepsy ?
Answer: How is narcolepsy diagnosed? Narcolepsy is often diagnosed in adolescence and young adulthood, when falling asleep suddenly in school brings the problem to attention. However, for many people with narcolepsy, the disorder is not diagnosed for up to 10-15 years after symptoms first begin. The disorder may be misdiagnosed as various other conditions or psychological problems. While it is most easily recognized if all the major symptoms are reported, making the diagnosis based solely on symptoms is difficult. People often seek medical help for single symptoms that could be associated with other disorders, particularly epilepsy. In come cases, symptoms are not dramatically apparent for years. Sleep studies are an essential part of the evaluation of people with possible narcolepsy. The combination of an overnight polysomnogram (PSG) followed by a multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) can provide strongly suggestive evidence of narcolepsy, while excluding other sleep disorders. Measurement of hypocretin levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may further help to establish the diagnosis. People with narcolepsy often have extremely low levels of hypocretin in their CSF. In some cases, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing may be helpful.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Narcolepsy ?
Answer: How might narcolepsy be treated? There is currently no cure for narcolepsy, but some of the symptoms can be managed with medications and lifestyle changes. Most affected people improve if they maintain a regular sleep schedule, usually 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Scheduled naps during the day also may help. Other measures that may help include participating in an exercise program; receiving emotional support and career or vocational counseling; and avoiding high-risk behaviors such as alcohol and drug use, which may make symptoms worse. Common-sense measures should be taken to enhance sleep quality (such as avoiding heavy meals before bed time). Treatment with medications involves the use of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants. These medications help reduce daytime sleepiness and improve this symptom in 65-85% of affected people. Two types of antidepressant drugs (tricyclics, and selective serotonin and noradrenergic reuptake inhibitors) are effective in controlling cataplexy in many people. Sodium oxybate (a strong sedative taken during the night) may also be used to treat narcolepsy. You can view detailed information about the treatment of narcolepsy on Medscape's Web site.
Source: GARD