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Narcolepsy and Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Margaret Blattner1, Kiran Maski2
1Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Abstract:
Narcolepsy types 1 and 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia are primary Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders of hypersomnolence characterized by profound daytime sleepiness and/or excessive sleep need. Onset of symptoms begins typically in childhood or adolescence, and children can have unique presentations compared with adults. Narcolepsy type 1 is likely caused by immune-mediated loss of orexin (hypocretin) neurons in the hypothalamus; however, the causes of narcolepsy type 2 and idiopathic hypersomnia are unknown. Existing treatments improve daytime sleepiness and cataplexy but there is no cure for these disorders.
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