Narcolepsy

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder caused by the brain's inability to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally. It examines how, with this disorder people can experience an overwhelming desire to go to sleep throughout the day and how these sleeping episodes can occur at any time, which makes this disorder largely disabling. The paper also discusses how there are three others symptoms that accompany the daytime sleepiness - cataplexy, vivid hallucinations, and paralysis. Causes of the disorder and treatment options such as regulation with drug treatment are also discussed.

From the Paper:

"Most people think that people with narcolepsy spend a great deal of their time asleep. This is not true. Along with involuntary sleep and daytime sleepiness, most people with narcolepsy will also wake-up frequently during the night. Because of this, narcolepsy is thought to be a disorder of the standard boundaries between the waking and sleeping cycles. "For most adults, a normal night's sleep lasts about 8 hours and is composed of four to six separate sleep cycles. A sleep cycle is defined by a segment of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep followed by a period of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The NREM segment can be further divided into stages according to the size and frequency of brain waves. REM sleep, in contrast, is accompanied by bursts of rapid eye movement (hence the acronym REM sleep) along with sharply heightened brain activity and temporary paralysis of the muscles that control posture and body movement. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Narcolepsy Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). 4 March 2009. 9 April 2009. <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/narcolepsy/detail_narcolepsy.htm>
• "Sleep Disorders: Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, RLS, Narcolepsy." Depression Treatment Guide. 2007. 9 April 2009. <http://www.finddepressiontreatment.com/sleep-disorder.html>

More papers on Narcolepsy:

• Essay # 33578 : "Narcolepsy"
• Essay # 88121 : "Narcolepsy"
• Essay # 25843 : "Narcolepsy: Etiology and Diagnosis"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: