The etymological root of narcolepsy is found in the Greek language, more precisely in the words nárkē (which can be translated as “numbness” ) and épilepsie (a term referring to “epilepsy” ). The idea arrived like narcolepsy in the French language and from there it arrived in Spanish.
Narcolepsy is a pathology that is characterized by the onset of deep sleep that is impossible to resist during daylight hours . The person, in this way, experiences accentuated drowsiness that makes it difficult to carry out daily activities.
There are several symptoms associated with narcolepsy, a rare disorder. The most common is primary hypersomnia : the subject suffers from excessive drowsiness that goes beyond the feeling of tiredness that a man or woman can experience. In the face of primary hypersomnia, those affected by narcolepsy need to sleep anywhere and anytime.
Those who suffer from narcolepsy may also experience sleep paralysis (the inability to move in the transition between sleep and wakefulness ), cataplexy (the sudden loss of muscle tone) and even hallucinations (while waking up or falling asleep).
It is important to mention that when someone is asleep, their brain waves are irregular and slow. On the other hand, when awake, these waves are regular and faster. During sleep , on the other hand, one goes through a non-rapid eye movement ( NREM ) sleep state followed by a rapid eye movement ( REM ) state, where dreams develop. Whoever has narcolepsy presents disturbances in the order and duration of the NREM and REM periods.
The body of the individual with narcolepsy, in this framework, tries to compensate for the lack of time in the REM state with the emergence of deep sleep during the day.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is undoubtedly the most obvious problem for narcolepsy patients. It is a situation that occurs every day, although its duration and the moment in which it is triggered do vary: it can be in the middle of a passive activity (such as watching television or reading) or active (driving, eating, walking ). An episode may last a few minutes or even several hours, and come on gradually or suddenly.
We must also mention muscle hypotonia , which occurs in crises during which muscle tone drops sharply without the patient losing consciousness . This usually happens in the context of a situation such as laughter, a scare or an argument, and in any muscle. If it is mild, it may go unnoticed, while in the worst cases it can cause the entire body to collapse. Its duration is estimated between a few seconds and several minutes.
With respect to the aforementioned hallucinations , which are called hypnopompic or hypnagogic , the perceptions can be tactile, visual or auditory. Sleep paralysis is another of the less physically violent symptoms , but it is not easy to overcome on a psychological level, since it can also be accompanied by hallucinations.
The origin of this disorder is neurological and statistical data indicate that on the European continent it occurs in an average of four people per ten thousand , generally between twenty and forty years of age. Since there is an important genetic component associated with narcolepsy, it is normal for it to occur in more than one individual within the same family ; The degree of incidence in first-degree relatives is between 1 and 2 percent.
To diagnose narcolepsy and indicate appropriate treatment , professionals must take into account various factors in the patient's life, including without exception their daily activities, eating habits, and schedules.