Pathophysiology of narcolepsy

• Autor(a) principal: Santos Coelho, Fernando Morgadinho [UNIFESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Pradella-Hallinan, Marcia [UNIFESP], Tufik, Sergio [UNIFESP], Azeredo Bittencourt, Lia Rita [UNIFESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: spa
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNIFESP
• Texto Completo: https://www.siicsalud.com/saludiciencia/pdf/sic_191.pdf; http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/45538
• topic: narcolepsy; genetics; immunology; diagnosis and treatment

Introduction: Narcolepsy is a primary disturbance of the Central Nervous System with a prevalence of 0.02%. It is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep palsy, and sleep fragmentation. Diagnosis: Narcolepsy diagnosis is defined by clinical defaults and analysis of five naps during multiple sleep latency tests. Pathophysiology: Higher prevalence of HLA-DQB1 *0602 allele and lower hypocretin-1 levels were demonstrated in patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy. However, the pathophysiology is not completely known, although a few theories are currently under discussion. Recently, authors described different patterns in the alpha T cell receptor locus and higher prevalence of specific tribbles homolog 2 antibodies in the narcoleptic population. Treatment: The treatment must ensure the familial and social integration of the patient. Conclusion: Narcolepsy is an interesting disease, which involves neurology, immunology, sleep medicine, psychiatry, and genetics. Narcoleptic patients have various difficulties in personal, professional and familial scenarios. Although many advances have been made, the best tool is information for physicians and the general population.