2. DEFINITION  A period when a person experiences a over whelming sleepiness.  It is a nervous system disorder.

3. Associated Features  Each sleep attack can last up to 10 to15 minutes or more.  It can happen at inopportune times ex: After eating, while driving, talking to some one, or during other situations.  After awaken up from the attack the person feel sometime refreshed

4. Associated Features  Dream-like hallucinations between you being awake and sleep. This involves hearing or seeing and possibly other scenes as well.

5. Associated Features  Other symptoms: Fatigue, tiredness, or problems with concentration, attention, memory, and performance.  Common disorders: Excessive daytime sleepiness, Cataplexy, Hypnagogic hallucinations, Sleep paralysis, Disturbed nocturnal sleep, Automatic behavior, and others complaints such as Blurred vision, Double vision, or Droopy eyelids.

6. Associated Features  DSM-IV-TR diagnosis Irresistible attack of refreshing sleep that occur daily over at least 3 months. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another general medical condition.  Have at least one: Cataplexy Recurrent rapid eye movement (REM) sleep into the transition between sleep and wakefulness, as manifested by either hypnopomic or hypnagogic hallucinations or sleep paralysis at the beginning or end of sleep episodes

7. Etiology  Reduce amount of proteins called hypocretin, that is located in the hypothalamus (in the brain).  The hypocretin secrets neurotransmitter substances (chemicals released by nerve cells to transmit messages to other cells).

8. Prevalence  Narcolepsy can run through your family genes.  125,000 to 200,000 in America, but changes from country to country.

9. Treatment  No known cure.  Eating health.  Be more active.  Schedule naps through out the day.  Taking antidepressants drug.

10. Prognosis  Life long condition.  It’s not deadly, but can be if driving, operating machinery, or similar activities.  Usually can be controls by treatment.

11. Discussion Question  Do you think narcolepsy could be a dangerous disorder?

12. REFERENCES  Halgin, R.P. & Whitbourne, S.K. (2005). Abnormal psychology; clinical perspectives on psychological disorder. New York; NY: McGraw Hill.  Myers D.G. (2011). Myers’ psychology for AP. New York; NY: Worth Publishers.  PubMed Health (2012). Narcolepsy. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmedhealth/PMH0001805/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmedhealth/PMH0001805/  Cunha P.J. (1996-2012). Narcolepsy. http://www.medicinenet.com/ narcolepsy/article.htm http://www.medicinenet.com/ narcolepsy/article.htm