Narcolepsy Sentence Examples

My usual symptoms were extreme tiredness to the point I was convinced I had narcolepsy.

Malfunction of the orexin system causes narcolepsy in mice, rats, dogs and humans.

Stimulants, which are often prescribed to treat the sleep disorder narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, produce feelings of alertness and increased energy.

The causes of narcolepsy are not fully known.

Narcolepsy is a field in which doctors are working hard to fully understand the causes.

Genes inherited from parents may lead to individuals being more prone to narcolepsy.

Another theory on the cause of narcolepsy includes a deficiency.

The causes of narcolepsy are still undetermined, but there are a variety of studies and research facilities working to have a better understanding of the condition.

Doctors do believe that genes may be behind narcolepsy to some level.

Perhaps the most likely cause of narcolepsy is from a combination of factors, including any of those listed here.

In individuals who have narcolepsy, the sleep cycle is disturbed.

The causes of narcolepsy may be the inability of the brain to regulate the sleep cycle, in particular the sleep and awake mechanisms.

Narcolepsy is a condition to be concerned about.

A loss of time is also a common indication of a sleep disorder like narcolepsy.

While the cause of narcolepsy is not fully understood, doctors can help treat it.

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that has been subject to comedic portrayals on screen and within books.

For this reason, many people with narcolepsy aren't properly diagnosed with this disorder, or are never diagnosed at all.

Narcolepsy is much more serious than the comedic portrayals found in the media.

People who suffer from narcolepsy can be treated but there is not a cure available.

Researchers hypothesize that narcolepsy is a result of dysfunction within the body's sleep cycle regulation, but they do not know how to prevent this disorder from developing or how to completely stop it once it does manifest in a person.

The fact that there is no known cure for narcolepsy prompts further research as medical professionals strive to find a way to cure and prevent this neurological disorder.

Narcolepsy is presumed to be highly underreported, in many cases because it isn't properly diagnosed.

As more research is conducted and more people are diagnosed with narcolepsy there is a chance that research efforts will be increased and more funding will be designated for research on narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy brain research suggests that there may be a genetic link with regards to the neurological condiiton.

In other words, people who have family members with narcolepsy have an increased chance of having narcolepsy as well.

This research also reveals that narcolepsy is indeed a neurological disorder as opposed to being something psychological.

Researchers conducting examinations of human and animal brains surmise that a deficiency of cells called hypocretin may be a cause for narcolepsy.

It was discovered that most people who have narcolepsy also have this hormone deficiency, although the same assumption may not be reliable with animal subjects.

Research reveals that people suffer from narcolepsy in widely varying degrees.

On the other side of the spectrum, severe narcolepsy can force a person into sleep abruptly and without warning, especially when startled or feeling a strong emotion.

Cataplexy, which is the sudden paralysis that severe narcolepsy can induce, is a characteristic of narcolepsy that does not manifest itself in other sleep disorders.

Medical research facilities conducting research on narcolepsy view this neurological disorder as a serious issue and do not regard it in a comedic light.

The premier research facility for narcolepsy is the Stanford School of Medicine Center for Narcolepsy, but sleep centers around the world conduct research on this disorder as well.

Hartford Memorial Hospital's Sleep Disorder Center offers help for people who have a number of sleep problems, including sleep apena, narcolepsy and periodic limb movement disorder.

Narcolepsy is an often-misunderstood sleep disorder, and this misunderstanding has shaped the history of narcolepsy for the past 300 years.

In fact, several major advances in narcolepsy knowledge have only happened in the past 20 years.

While narcolepsy symptoms have probably been around since the beginning of time, the recorded history of narcolepsy begins in the 17th century with Oxford physician Thomas Willis.

Interestingly, Willis also suggested caffeine as a treatment for narcolepsy, and stimulants have played a big part in the therapy of narcolepsy throughout history.

Willis' early descriptions of narcolepsy did not identify a cause for the disorder, and the early theories of what caused narcolepsy were unorthodox, at best.

Dr. Westphal was the first to clinically describe narcolepsy as a physical disorder which often manifests along with cataplexy, episodes of sudden loss of muscle tone while a person is awake.

In 1880, Dr. Jean-Baptiste-Edouard Gélineau coined the term narcolepsy, from the Greek words narke, meaning "stupor" or "numbness," and lepsis, meaning "to seize."

Using the term "narcolepsy" to mean all disorders that caused daytime sleepiness, this included illnesses that were not actually sleep disorders such as lethargic encephalitis.

The latter half of the 20th century was an exciting time in the history of narcolepsy, and one major development occurred in 1957 when Mayo clinic doctors Robert Yoss and David Daly officially united the four classic narcolepsy symptoms.

This new unity firmly established the "narcoleptic tetrad" as the definitive diagnostic criteria for narcolepsy.

Progress continued with Stanford University professor Dr. William Dement's establishment of the first narcolepsy clinic in San Francisco following an overwhelming local response to his recruitment efforts for a narcolepsy study.

Dr. Dement went on to team with Dr. Merrill Mitler to examine genetic factors as a cause for narcolepsy, using dogs as the subjects for breeding experiments.

The first litter of narcoleptic dogs was born in 1976, positively proving that narcolepsy could be passed down in families.

In the 1990s, researchers discovered specific information about the genetics of narcolepsy in the form of the HLA-DR2 allele.

The discovery of the role of hypocretin in narcolepsy is the most recent and one of the most significant discoveries in the study of the disorder.

The study of narcolepsy is continually evolving, with new therapies being tried and new discoveries about the origins of narcolepsy discovered.

Narcolepsy researchers' commitment to forging new knowledge offers people with narcolepsy hope for a full and productive life in spite of their disorder.

Dr. Feldman is an expert in various sleep disorders including sleep apnea, narcolepsy and insomnia.The Center provides an initial evaluation, which includes an overnight sleep study.

This test assesses daytime sleepiness and narcolepsy.

Those suffering from conditions like narcolepsy, severe insomnia or sleep apnea may need to keep a log of their sleep quality over the initial treatment period, so doctors can determine if treatments are working.

Interestingly, PLMS affects up to 34 percent of people over 60 and is commonly found in people who have other sleep disorders like narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, or REM sleep behavior disorder.

It may be caused by other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, drugs, alcohol, head injury, being overweight or sleep deprivation.

Narcolepsy is thought to be caused by abnormalities in the structure and the function of nerve cells in the brain.

Narcolepsy, for example, is a neurological sleep disorder that must be managed but cannot be cured or treated to remove.

The study may be testing for problems and sleep disorders such as narcolepsy, sleep apnea, or other sleep related problems.

Narcolepsy is a disorder in the nervous system of the body that occurs when fewer amounts of a protein called hypocretin are made in the brain.

The NE will assist the clinician in diagnosing illnesses as diverse as seizure disorders, narcolepsy, migraine disorders, dizziness, and dementia.

Narcolepsy is a disorder of the nervous system marked by excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep attacks, and cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone, usually lasting up to half an hour).

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) classifies narcolepsy as a sleep disorder in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) defines narcolepsy as a "disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally."

The word narcolepsy itself comes from two Greek words that together mean "seized by sleepiness."

Narcolepsy is the second-leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness (after obstructive sleep apnea).

It is not correct, however, to describe people with narcolepsy as sleeping longer or spending more time asleep in a 24-hour period than people without the disorder.

Although patients with narcolepsy experience drowsiness and sleep attacks during the daytime, they also wake up frequently during the nighttime hours.

For this reason, narcolepsy is more accurately described as a disorder of the normal boundaries between sleep and wakefulness.

Narcolepsy is related to the deep, dreaming part of sleep known as rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

People with narcolepsy, however, enter REM sleep immediately.

In addition, REM sleep occurs inappropriately throughout the day in patients with narcolepsy.

There has been considerable debate in the early 2000s over the incidence of narcolepsy.

Narcolepsy is a somewhat unusual disorder in terms of age distribution.

Although the disorder has been identified in children as young as three years of age, most patients with narcolepsy are diagnosed either between the ages of ten and 25 or between the ages of 40 and 45.

It is uncommon for a person to develop the signs of narcolepsy for the first time after age 55.

In 1999 researchers identified the gene that causes narcolepsy on chromosome 12.

However, not everyone who has the gene develops narcolepsy; between 12 percent and 35 percent of the United States population is thought to carry the gene but only 0.02 percent develop the disorder.

As of the early 2000s, narcolepsy is thought to be an orexin deficiency syndrome; that is, it develops when a person's hypothalamus does not secrete enough orexins to keep the person from falling asleep at inappropriate times.

Samples of cerebrospinal fluid taken from patients with narcolepsy contain little or no orexins.

In a few cases, the first signs of narcolepsy are triggered by traumatic damage to the part of the brain that governs REM sleep or from a rapidly growing tumor that puts pressure on this region of the brain.

Cataplexy, the most dramatic symptom of narcolepsy, affecting 75 percent of people with the disorder.

The symptoms of narcolepsy in children below the age of ten are somewhat different from the classical signs of the disorder in adolescents and adults.

In some cases a sudden drop in the child's academic performance is the first indication of narcolepsy.

Parents who suspect that their child may have narcolepsy should consult a specialist (usually a pediatric neurologist) and have the child tested in a sleep clinic.

Children with narcolepsy have often been misdiagnosed as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, while adolescents have sometimes been misdiagnosed as having substance abuse or personality disorders.

The sooner narcolepsy is correctly identified, the better the child's chances of maintaining normal academic and social development.

Narcolepsy is a complex disorder, and it is not always easy to identify.

The diagnosis of younger patients is additionally complicated by the fact that children with narcolepsy rarely have all four of the classical symptoms of the disorder as described in adults.

The child's doctor will not be able to diagnose narcolepsy on the basis of a routine physical examination.

A score above ten (maximum score is 24) generally indicates that the doctor should consider laboratory testing for narcolepsy.

Imaging studies are not helpful in diagnosing narcolepsy, although in some cases the doctor may order an MRI or CT scan to rule out a brain tumor or other abnormality in brain structure.

Laboratory tests used to evaluate a person for narcolepsy include an overnight polysomnogram (a test in which sleep is monitored with electrocardiography, a video camera, and respiratory parameters).

People who have narcolepsy usually fall asleep much more rapidly that people without the disorder, often in less than five minutes.

If the diagnosis is still questionable, a genetic blood test can reveal the existence of certain substances in people who have a tendency to develop narcolepsy.

Positive test results suggest but do not prove that the person has narcolepsy.

As of the early 2000s, the diagnosis of narcolepsy also can be confirmed by taking a sample of the patient's cerebrospinal fluid by a spinal tap and testing it for the presence of hypocretin-1.

Patients with narcolepsy have no hypocretin-1 in their spinal fluid.

Newer nonamphetamine wake-promoting drugs are available to treat narcolepsy.

As of 2004, however, researchers do not know exactly how modafinil prevents the drowsiness associated with narcolepsy.

With discovery of the gene that causes narcolepsy, researchers are hopeful that therapies can eventually be designed to relieve the symptoms of the disorder.

As with any herbal preparation or medication, however, individuals should check with their healthcare professional before taking the remedy to treat narcolepsy.

Children with narcolepsy sometimes fall asleep while eating, but the disorder itself does not cause or lead to malnutrition.

Adolescents should be advised to avoid tobacco, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages, as these substances can increase daytime sleepiness in patients with narcolepsy.

The symptoms of narcolepsy are more severe when they develop in children than when they emerge in adult life.

Narcolepsy is not a degenerative disease, however, and patients do not develop other neurologic symptoms.

Apart from falls or other accidents, narcolepsy does not affect a person's life expectancy.

There is no way to prevent narcolepsy as of the early 2000s.

Narcolepsy can affect a family in a number of ways before it is diagnosed.

Families with a child diagnosed with narcolepsy should consider joining a support group for people affected by the disorder.

Cataplexy-A symptom of narcolepsy in which there is a sudden episode of muscle weakness triggered by emotions.

Narcolepsy is sometimes described as an orexin deficiency syndrome.

Often found in patients with narcolepsy.

If the doctor is considering breathing-related sleep disorders, myoclonus, or narcolepsy as possible diagnoses, he or she may ask the patient to be tested in a sleep laboratory or at home with portable instruments.

Two or more episodes of REM sleep under these conditions indicates narcolepsy.

It is used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy (uncontrollable desire for sleep or sudden attacks of deep sleep), and other conditions as determined by a physician or other healthcare provider.

A central nervous system stimulant, methylphenidate is also used to control narcolepsy, a condition characterized by an overpowering desire to sleep.

Doctors rule out conditions that cause symptoms that resemble seizure disorders, including small strokes (transient ischemic attacks, or TIAs), fainting (syncope), pseudoseizures, and sleep attacks (narcolepsy).