Important

It is possible that the main title of the report Narcolepsy is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.

Synonyms

• Gelineau's Syndrome
• Paroxysmal Sleep
• Sleep Epilepsy
• Narcoleptic syndrome

Disorder Subdivisions

• None

General Discussion

Narcolepsy is a rare disorder characterized by chronic, excessive attacks of drowsiness during the day, sudden extreme muscle weakness (cataplexy), hallucinations, paralysis while sleeping, and disrupted sleep during the night. Attacks of drowsiness may persist only a few minutes or last for hours, and may vary in frequency from a few incidents to several during a single day. Although the exact cause of narcolepsy is not known, many researchers suspect that genetic factors play a role in the development of the disorder.

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Resources

National Sleep Foundation

1522 K Street

Suite 500

Washington, D.C. 20005

Tel: (202)347-3471

Fax: (202)347-3472

Email: nsf@sleepfoundation.org

Internet: http://www.sleepfoundation.org



Narcolepsy Network, Inc.

79 Main Street

North Kingstown, RI 02852

USA

Tel: 4016672523

Fax: 4016336567

Tel: 8882926522

Email: narnet@narcolepsynetwork.org

Internet: http://www.narcolepsynetwork.org



American Sleep Disorders Association

1610 14th Street NW

Suite 300

Rochester, MN 55901

Tel: (507)287-6006

Fax: (507)287-6008

Email: asda@millcomm.com



Center for Research in Sleep Disorders

1275 East Kemper Rd.

Cincinnati, OH 45246

Tel: (513)671-3101

Fax: (513)671-4159

TDD: (311)111-6111

Email: ggaz@tristatesleep.com



Narcolepsy Institute

Montefiore Medical Center

111 East 210th Street

Bronx, NY 10467

Tel: (718)920-6799

Fax: (718)654-9580

Email: MGoswami@NarcolepsyInstitute.org

Internet: http://www.narcolepsyinstitute.org



National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

31 Center Drive

8A07

Bethesda, MD 20892-2540

Tel: (301)496-5751

Fax: (301)402-2186

Tel: (800)352-9424

Email: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov

Internet: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/



Medic Alert Foundation International

2323 Colorado Avenue

Turlock, CA 95382

USA

Tel: 2096692401

Fax: 2096692456

Tel: 8004325378

Email: Inquiries@medicalert.org

Internet: http://www.medicalert.org



Center for Narcolepsy Research

College of Nursing (M/C 802)

The University of Illinois at Chicago

845 South Damen Avenue

Room 215

Chicago, IL 60612-7350

Tel: (312)996-5176

Fax: (312)996-7008

Email: narcolep@listserve.uic.edu

Internet: http://www.uic.edu/depts/cnr/cnrright.htm

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.

It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report.

This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.

For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org

Last Updated:  10/29/2007

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