Where is narcolepsy most common?

Narcolepsy affects about 1 in 2,000 people in the United States and Western Europe. However, the disorder is likely underdiagnosed, particularly in people with mild symptoms. Worldwide, narcolepsy appears to be most common in Japan, where it affects an estimated 1 in 600 people.

Who suffers from narcolepsy the most?

Who gets narcolepsy? Narcolepsy affects both males and females equally. Symptoms often start in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood (ages 7 to 25), but can occur at any time in life. It is estimated that anywhere from 135,000 to 200,000 people in the United States have narcolepsy.

Is narcolepsy more common in certain races?

People all over the world are affected

Narcolepsy appears throughout the world in every racial and ethnic group. However, occurrence rates vary among populations.

Where is narcolepsy located?

The cause of narcolepsy is not known. It involves the body's central nervous system, which includes the brain and spinal cord. Narcolepsy is a genetic disorder. It is caused by a deficiency in the production of a brain chemical that helps neurons talk to each other.

How common is narcolepsy in the world?

Narcolepsy affects an estimated 1 in every 2,000 people in the United States. That's 200,000 Americans and approximately 3 million worldwide. It is estimated that only 25% of people who have narcolepsy have been diagnosed and are receiving treatment.

What is Narcolepsy?

What are 2 triggers for narcolepsy?

hormonal changes, including those that take place during puberty or the menopause. major psychological stress. a sudden change in sleep patterns. an infection, such as swine flu or a streptococcal infection.

Is narcolepsy considered rare?

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder that affects the natural cycles of sleeping and waking. It is characterized by excessive sleepiness during the day. This rare disease affects 2–5 out of every 10,000 people (1).

What can mimic narcolepsy?

Can you feel narcolepsy coming on?

Excessive daytime sleepiness is usually the first sign of narcolepsy. It can have a significant impact on everyday life. Feeling drowsy throughout the day and struggling to stay awake makes it difficult to concentrate at work or school.

Can narcolepsy be seen on an MRI?

Imaging studies such as MRI are useful for excluding rare causes of symptomatic narcolepsy. Structural abnormalities of the brain stem and diencephalon may present as idiopathic narcolepsy. In patients with secondary narcolepsy, MRI of the brain may show various abnormalities that correspond to the underlying cause.

Does narcolepsy affect intelligence?

Although narcolepsy can have a major indirect impact on concentration, attention span and short term memory, it does not affect cognition or intelligence directly.

Is narcolepsy genetically linked?

Abstract Human narcolepsy is a genetically complex disorder. Family studies indicate a 20–40 times increased risk of narcolepsy in first-degree relatives and twin studies suggest that nongenetic factors also play a role.

Does narcolepsy run in family?

Inheritance. Most cases of narcolepsy are sporadic, which means they occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. A small percentage of all cases have been reported to run in families; however, the condition does not have a clear pattern of inheritance.

What virus causes narcolepsy?

Significance. Influenza A virus infections are risk factors for narcolepsy, a disease in which autoimmunity has been implicated.

What mental illness causes narcolepsy?

Other health conditions linked to narcolepsy

anxiety, including generalized anxiety disorder or phobias. psychosis, which refers to disconnection from reality, such as in schizophrenia. REM sleep behavior disorder, which causes unusual behavior during REM sleep, usually during dreaming. cognitive impairment.

Do people with narcolepsy fall asleep every day?

Narcolepsy is a rare sleep disorder. A person with narcolepsy has excessive daytime sleepiness, with repeated episodes of sleep attacks, falling asleep involuntarily at inappropriate times, often several times every day.

How do doctors tell if you have narcolepsy?

Research has shown that measuring the level of hypocretin in your cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the brain and spinal cord, can be useful in diagnosing narcolepsy. To measure your level of hypocretin, a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed using a needle during a procedure called a lumbar puncture.

How do I know if I'm narcoleptic?

People with narcolepsy fall asleep without warning, anywhere, anytime. For example, you may be working or talking with friends and suddenly you nod off, sleeping for a few minutes up to a half-hour. When you awaken, you feel refreshed, but eventually you get sleepy again.

How do they test for narcolepsy?

Testing usually consists of an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory for a test called a polysomnogram, followed the next day by the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (commonly known as the MSLT). A polysomnogram is a recording of brain waves, eye movements, muscle tone, and breathing across a night of sleep.

What is the opposite of narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy: Narcolepsy seems like the exact opposite problem of an insomniac, causing people to fall asleep during the day in the middle of whatever they were doing, whether eating, having a conversation, or at work.

Is narcolepsy worse in the winter?

Narcolepsy onset often follows a seasonal pattern of higher rates in spring and early summer following winter upper airway infection season.

What is Type 2 narcolepsy?

Narcolepsy type 2 (narcolepsy without cataplexy) is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and abnormal manifestations of REM sleep on polysomnography and multiple sleep latency testing. Cataplexy is absent.

Do narcoleptics have a shorter lifespan?

Results show that narcolepsy is associated with approximately 1.5-fnew excess mortality relative to those without narcolepsy.

Do people with narcolepsy live longer?

Narcolepsy was associated with approximately 1.5-fold excess mortality relative to those without narcolepsy.

What can make narcolepsy worse?

Avoid alcohol and caffeine, especially before bedtime. "Alcohol causes sleep fragmentation, which means that it breaks up our sleep," Awad says. Alcohol interrupts the restorative REM sleep stage, which can leave you feeling sleepy the next day, even when you feel like you've had a full night's sleep.