ABSTRACT
The symptoms of narcolepsy can be conceptualized as a blurring of the boundaries between the awake, sleeping, and dreaming brain. Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder of excessive daytime sleepiness, which characteristically has a childhood onset and is associated with a hypocretin deficiency. Historically, the word “narcolepsy” was first coined by Ge´lineau in 1880 to designate a pathological condition characterized by irresistible episodes of sleep of short duration recurring at close intervals. Cataplexy is characterized by the sudden, generally bilateral, loss of muscle tone while awake, typically triggered by a strong positive emotion such as laughter or surprise. It can also be triggered less commonly by the anger or fear. Cataplexy is virtually a pathognomonic symptom of narcolepsy. Although narcolepsy is reported as usually developing either in late adolescence or young adulthood, patients may report substantial delays prior to diagnosis.
