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Narcolepsy: a review of a common, life‐long sleep disorder
Author(s) -
Cohen Felissa L.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of advanced nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.948
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1365-2648
pISSN - 0309-2402
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1988.tb01447.x
Subject(s) - narcolepsy , sleep paralysis , cataplexy , psychosocial , medicine , etiology , sleep disorder , excessive daytime sleepiness , psychiatry , rem sleep behavior disorder , disease , psychology , modafinil , insomnia , polysomnography , apnea
Narcolepsy is a severe debilitating chronic life‐lotig sleep disorder that can be ameliorated but not cured. In the United States, its prevalence is at least 1 in 1000 making it more common than multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. Its symptoms lead to severe lifestyle consequences, with profound impact on the affected persons, their interpersonal relationships, job, school experiences, and family life. Despite this, little has appeared in the nursing literature about the disorder. The most characteristic symptoms include uncontrollable excess daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (bilateral voluntary muscle weakness), sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disturbed night‐time sleep. Characteristics of normal sleep are reviewed and compared with disturbances seen in narcolepsy. The aetiology, assessment, diagnosis, pharmacologic therapy, non‐pharmacologic therapy and psychosocial issues are discussed along with needed research directions.