Sleep Disorder
 

Narcolepsy Cause

Another sleep disorder that puzzles scientists is narcolepsy. While the cause of narcolepsy has not yet been determined, scientists have discovered conditions that may increase an individual's risk of having the disorder. Specifically, there appears to be a strong link between narcoleptic individuals and certain genetic conditions. One factor that may predispose an individual to narcolepsy involves an area of Chromosome 6 known as the HLA complex. There appears to be a correlation between narcoleptic individuals and certain variations in HLA genes, although it is not required for the condition to occur.

Certain variations in the HLA complex are thought to increase the risk of an auto-immune response to protein producing neurons in the brain. The protein produced, called hypocretin or orexin, is responsible for controlling appetite and sleep patterns. Individuals with narcolepsy often have reduced numbers of these protein-producing neurons in their brains.

The neural control of normal sleep states and the relationship to narcolepsy are only partially understood. In humans, narcoleptic sleep is characterized by a tendency to go abruptly from a waking state to REM sleep with little or no intervening non-REM sleep. The changes in the motor and proprioceptive systems during REM sleep have been studied in both human and animal models. During normal REM sleep, spinal and brainstem alpha motor neuron depolarization produces almost complete atonia of skeletal muscles via an inhibitory descending reticulospinal pathway. Acetylcholine may be one of the neurotransmitters involved in this pathway. In narcolepsy, the reflex inhibition of the motor system seen in cataplexy is believed identical to that seen in normal REM sleep.[citation needed]

In 2004 researchers in Australia induced narcolepsy-like symptoms in mice by injecting them with antibodies from narcoleptic humans. The research has been published in the Lancet providing strong evidence suggesting that some cases of narcolepsy might be caused by autoimmune disease.

Narcolepsy is strongly associated with HLA DQB1*0602 genotype. There is also an association with HLA DR2 and HLA DQ1. This may represent linkage disequilibrium.

Despite the experimental evidence in human narcolepsy that there may be an inherited basis for at least some forms of narcolepsy, the mode of inheritance remains unknown.

Some cases are associated with genetic diseases such as Niemann-Pick disease or Prader-Willi syndrome.

With the strong research going on, the sleep disorder narcolepsy cause will be discovered in the near future.

 

 

Sleep Disorder
Snoring Treatment | Snoring Cure
Nurse's Best Stop Snoring Tips Will Help You Quit Snoring Naturally Now!
Best Natural Stop Snoring Tips
Sleep Ebooks
Sleep Quiz
List of Sleep Disorders
Sleep Disorders Center
Sleep Disorder Treatments
Sleep Disorder Classifications
Sleep Disorder Causes
Sleep Disorder Treatments
Insomnia
Insomnia Tips
More Insomnia Tips
Insomnia or Poor Sleep Quality
Natural Sleep Remedies for Insomnia
Alcohol Insomnia
Sleep Disorder Natural Remedies
Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy Symptoms
Narcolepsy Cause
Narcolepsy Diagnosis
Narcolepsy Treatment
How to Cope With Narcolepsy
Cataplexy
Dyssomnias
Restless Legs Syndrome Explained
Restless Legs Syndrome
Sleep Apnea in Children
Baby Sleep Disorders
ADHD Sleep Disorder
Sleep Deprivation
Sleep Hygiene
Sleep Disorder - Nurse's Guide - Get Help Now With These Quick Tips
White Noise Machine
List of Sleep Medications
Insomnia in Popular Culture
Celebrities with Narcolepsy
List of Sleep Medications - Sleep Medicines - Sleep Drugs
Narcolepsy in Movies and Music
Links
Site Map

 

Sleep Disorder

Nurse Kindheart here!  I discovered the best natural snoring treatment and remedy while researching the snoring problems of my patients. I've critiqued oodles of snoring books, snoring treatment programs and snoring devices, etc.  I could waste your time reviewing several ebooks, devices and programs here, rather I am going to cut to the chase: Snoring Treatment