1. NARCOLEPSY By Jane Woo

2. What is Narcolepsy? Discovered in 1880 Jean-Baptiste-Édouard Gélineau Irregular pattern of sleep; people suffering from it fall asleep suddenly during the daytime, brain is not able to regulate proper sleep-wake cycles In most cases, sleep is physically irresistible Strikes at inappropriate or even dangerous situations, i.e. at school or while driving Cause irregular REM and NREM patterns

3. http://nevillesgarden.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2006/09/narcolepsy.jpg http://nevillesgarden.co.uk/wp- content/uploads/2006/09/narcolepsy.jpg To a narcoleptic person, the urge for sleep is often times physically irresistable

4. Cont’d Irregular REM patterns can lead to Inability to sleep at night (like insomnia) Constant fatigue REM plays a role in preserving memory and is related to intelligence; narcolepsy may produce consequences for that process Other symptoms CATAPLEXY: when the body suddenly loses control over the muscles of the body, ranges from slight loss of control to complete body collapse

5. http://www.directopedia.org/onTEAM/wiki/img/8/Narcoleptic_M inute_006_0001.jpg http://www.directopedia.org/onTEAM/wiki/img/8/Narcoleptic_M inute_006_0001.jpg A teenager suffering from narcolepsy.

6. Cont’d Sleep paralysis: inability to move at all while falling asleep or waking up; person is usually awake during this process Hypnagogic Hallucinations: Vivid dreams/images that suddenly occur while dozing off, usually frightening There is no complete cure for narcolepsy as of yet Must be treated with drugs for life

7. Cont’d Research has led to the prime culprit of narcolepsy Deficiency of HYPOCRETIN, a chemical in the brain Cures such as nasal spray are being tested

8. Narcolepsy is spontaneous and sudden, and can often happen at the most inconvenient times. http://www.megbiddle.com/images/commercial/Narcolepsy.jpg

9. Bibliography http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/ esn-narcolepsy-ess.html http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/ esn-narcolepsy-ess.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcolepsy http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/narcolepsy/d etail_narcolepsy.htm http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/narcolepsy/d etail_narcolepsy.htm