Longitudinal research in adults suggests that there may be a remission of cataplectic severity after symptom stabilization. This article reviews recent research on the clinical characteristics of cataplexy. Cataplexy is the sudden loss of muscle tone in either the face, neck, trunk, and/or limbs, leading to a loss of voluntary muscle control. This test is increasingly being used by sleep disorder specialists to help make a diagnosis.Narcolepsy is a central disorder of hypersomnolence with symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep paralysis, and cataplexy. To measure your level of hypocretin, a sample of cerebrospinal fluid is removed using a needle during a procedure called a lumbar puncture. 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. Narcolepsy is often linked to a deficiency in the sleep-regulating brain chemical hypocretin, also known as orexin. You may also have a blood test to find out whether you have a genetic marker known as HLA DQB * 0602, which is associated with narcolepsy.Ī positive result supports a diagnosis, but does not make it 100% certain – 30% of people without narcolepsy also have the genetic marker. If you have narcolepsy, you'll usually fall asleep easily and enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep very quickly. You'll be asked to take several naps throughout the day, and a specialist will analyse how quickly and easily you fall asleep. You may have this test after polysomnography. Multiple sleep latency testĪ multiple sleep latency test measures how long it takes for you to fall asleep during the day. Sound recording and video equipment may also be used to record sound and images.Īfter you have slept, a specialist will analyse your test results to determine whether you have normal brain wave activity, breathing patterns, and muscle and eye movement.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |