Novel therapies for narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a primary neurological disorder, which often produces disabling symptoms, including excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Although the precise aetiology of narcolepsy has not been determined, our understanding of the pathophysiology of this complex disorder has grown dramatically during the past several years, especially as it relates to the newly discovered hypocretin system. While symptomatic treatment of narcolepsy is available, the commonly used pharmacological agents are often not completely effective and may be poorly tolerated. The need for new therapeutic tools is, therefore, apparent. This paper explores some exciting new approaches to the treatment of narcolepsy. It is important to emphasise that, although narcolepsy is not a common disorder, new agents for its treatment will undoubtedly find more extensive use in other conditions.