ABSTRACT
Narcolepsy research during the last 50 years has been greatly facilitated by the existence of a unique animal model, canine narcolepsy (Table 1). The existence of this model was first suspected in 1972 when Dr. William Dement presented recordings of human cataplectic attacks during a convention of the American Medical Association (San Francisco) and a neurologist in attendance attested to the existence of a dog with similar symptoms. The affected canine, unfortunately, already had been sacrificed, as was customary at this time for diseased animals. A Poodle with similar symptoms, “Monique,” was fortunately soon identified in Saskatoon, Canada, and donated to Stanford University, where a colony of narcoleptic canines was formally established.
