Narcolepsy

An article in the Scientific American, by Jerome M. Siegel, focused on a dangerous sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy. A Narcoleptic has Symptoms such as cataplexy, which is the loss of skeletal muscle tone, and always feeling sleepy during daytime hours. The people suffering from this disorder tend to feel as if they hadn't gone to sleep for 48 hours. In addition, they sleep poorly at night. Laughter, embarrassment, sudden anger, social interactions with strangers, and sexual …

…purpose is to reduce the sleepiness experienced by the narcoleptics. These drugs only are affective for a short period of time and cause side affects such as agitation, dry mouth, and anxiety. Doctors also prescribe monoamine oxidase inhibitors. The purpose is to prevent cataplectic attacks of narcolepsy. They’re still hoping for new treatments that will improve the treatment of this disease. So far, the results of the research look very promising. Bibliography Scientic American