How do you know if you are narcoleptic? The first telltale symptom and what happens in the brain

Next to 20,000 people in France suffer from narcolepsy. The word “narcolepsy” comes from the Greek “narkê” which means “falling asleep” and “lêpsis” for “take” Or “right of way“. “Narcolepsy is a sleeping disorder characterized by hypersomnia Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola, a psychiatrist specializing in sleep disorders, explained to us in a previous article. She is generally declared between 15 and 20 years old. But concretely what is a narcoleptic person ? Because the desire to sleep can be greater without being narcoleptic. Furthermore, some people fall asleep easily everywhere -in the car, on the train- without being narcoleptic. In fact, the main symptom narcolepsy is the inability to stay awake which induces a sudden, sudden and uncontrollable falling asleep, anywhere. The narcoleptic person can’t fight. She can fall asleep several times a day usually for a few minutes, sometimes up to half an hour then waking up. But it’s not because she’s tired.

80,000 neurons destroyed

According to researchers at theInsermthe symptoms of narcolepsy are caused by destruction of a particular category of neurons, those who synthesize orexin or “hypocretin”, a neurotransmitter whose main role is to stimulate the waking state. “80,000 neurons are thus destroyed in narcoleptic patients who therefore lack orexin. Consequence: impossible for them to maintain this waking state for long” explain the scientists.

Other symptoms may be associated with narcolepsy but differ between patients. For example, a weight gainof the hallucinations, sleep paralysis and cataplexy. These are manifested by a loss of muscle tone of certain parts of the body such as the face, legs, arms leading to sudden collapse, without loss of consciousness. Cataplexy attacks are often triggered by strong emotions, positive (laughter) or negative. “It is necessary to consult when presenting regular abnormal sleepiness every day or almost every day as well as cataplexy attacks. The first person to consult is the attending physician” indicated Dr Sylvie Royant-Parola. Today on average, doctors put 8 years of diagnosing narcolepsy, and only a third of patients have a diagnosis.