Study of the Cataplexy

Introduction

It is a disorder that consists of a loss of sudden muscle tone and while awake. Muscle weakness can affect the whole body or only some parts of it. It is typical of subjects who are suffering from narcolepsy. Usually everything occurs following a strong emotion or a rice crisis. The subject falls to the ground, even if he does not lose consciousness. The symptoms are visible, because the facial muscles weaken and then the limbs give way. Some medications are used for the treatment, such as antidepressants and sodium oxybate, although scientific research has recently been experimenting with other therapies.

Symptoms

Cataplexy symptoms should not be exchanged with what occurs during epileptic seizures. Initially a weakening of the muscle tone in the facial muscles is determined, even if all this is barely perceptible. The signs, on the other hand, become particularly evident, when they yield the upper and lower limbs, until complete muscular atony takes over. The affected subject may fall, but remains fully conscious of everything that happens around him. Cataplexy attacks are not predictable, but are believed to occur more frequently in cases of stress and sleeplessness.

Treatment and therapy

Cataplexy care is based on specific drugs. If the disorder is related to narcolepsy, sodium oxybate is used. In any case, the symptoms can be relieved with the help of tricyclic antidepressants or serotonin reuptake inhibitors. It is these medicines, also used to alleviate some manifestations associated with REM sleep, such as hypnagogic hallucinations or sleep paralysis, which prove to be effective, also leading to fewer side effects than antidepressants. The latter, however, are more important for what concerns the use of sodium oxybate. Side effects also include nausea and worsening of sleepwalking.

The tricyclic antidepressants have as main characteristic the ability to make sure that serotonin and noradrenaline are not re-located in the nerve endings. The contraindications are, however, many, for this reason today we tend more to replace them with serotonin reuptake inhibitors, such as fluoxetine and venlafaxine, which do not cause dry mouth and stun. Scientific research is experimenting with different treatments, which also include gene therapy. However, further studies are still needed to confirm the validity of these therapies.


Date: 29/01/2018

Lo Staff / The Staff 

American Europen Medical Center 

(americaneuropeanmedicalcenter.blogspot.com) 

Direttore del sito : Daniel Viennese