In the article, “Sleep Polygraphic Study of Children and Adolescents With Narcolepsy/ Cataplexy”, Raffaele Ferri et al., are scientists that conducted a research study on nocturnal sleep in patients with narcolepsy. The researchers claim that neurophysiologic study of sleep in children and adolescents with narcolepsy confirms that the sleep microstructure and leg movement activity found in adulthood is already present and detectable in childhood.

Ferri et al., develops this claim by first gathering fifteen patients from the age of ten to thirteen. They conducted the research by putting the patients in a drug-free environment for up to three weeks performing polysomnographic recording.

Lastly, the author does sleep stage scorings where they record the detection and analysis of leg movements, sleep architecture, and cycling alternating patterns. The Neurology specialists purpose was to see if the narcoleptic symptoms found in adults were also detectable in children with narcolepsy.

This work is significant because the article states that no matter the age you have narcolepsy some of the symptoms are the same and detectable so you can get treatment early in age. Some people have narcolepsy for years without knowing it and their case gets worse from lack of early treatment.

Work Cited :
Giuseppe Plazzi, et al. "Sleep Polygraphic Study Of Children And Adolescents With Narcolepsy/Cataplexy." Developmental Neuropsychology 34.5 (2009): 523-538. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.

In the Article, “Sounding the alarm for narcolepsy”, Terrilynn Fox Quillen argues that narcolepsy can be hazardous to a person’s health because it is commonly diagnosed after a person falls asleep while driving and has had an accident. She claims that, “the average delay between symptom onset and diagnosis is 10 to 15 years.” Some children have been diagnosed with narcolepsy, but usually symptoms occur during puberty or young adulthood.

Quillen develops this claim by first examining past research at the Stanford University School of Medicine Center for narcolepsy. During Quillen’s research she explores what effects narcolepsy can have on someone, the cause of narcolepsy, and how narcolepsy can be diagnosed.
Lastly, the author gives choices on how to treat narcolepsy, because there is not a cure. The author also gives information on how to cope with narcolepsy. Terrilynn Fox Quillen’s purpose of writing this article is to imform people of narcolepsy and how to search for proper diagnosis and treatment in order to keep people who are unaware that they have narcolepsy away from harm.

This work is significant because someone who has the symptoms of narcolepsy can be treated to prevent having Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) or microsleep that interferes with their lives which is hazardous to themselves and others.

 

Work Cited:

Quillen, Terrilynn Fox. "Sounding The Alarm For Narcolepsy." Nursing 35.6 (2005): 74-75. MEDLINE. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.

 

DO YOU KNOW WHAT NARCOLEPSY IS?

In the Article “ Diagnosing narcolepsy with cataplexy on history alone: challenging the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-2) criteria”, Morrison, J. et al. argues that the second version of the International Classification of sleep disorders suggests narcolepsy with cataplexy can be diagnosed on history alone.

The Narcolepsy specialists claim that there are two types of narcolepsy; narcolepsy with cataplexy (muscle weakening) and narcolepsy without cataplexy. The symptoms of narcolepsy are rarely recorded in past history, but some cases can be found. Adults can live most of their lives with narcolepsy without knowing it, but with them not knowing it can be very dangerous and can lead to inappropriate long term management.

The Narcolepsy specialists develop this claim by first conducting an experiment on five patients with a history supportive of narcolepsy with cataplexy. Only two cases were accepted to be narcoleptic. The specialists investigates by multiple sleep latency testing looking for symptoms associated with the narcolepsy patients. The Narcolepsy specialists explore the patients excessive daytime somnolence (eds.), sleep disordered breathing (SBD), and their rapid eye movement(REM).

Lastly, they start to initiate therapy to exclude other narcolepsy-like conditions. The narcolepsy specialists purpose  was for the recognition of the various narcoleptic symptoms to improve patient safety in order to avoid further development of symptoms such as rapid eye movement, excessive daytime somnolence, cataplexy, sleep-disordered breathing ect., that could be harmful and life threatening. Also to avoid further development of  those symptoms and to motivate narcoleptic patients to immediately refer to specialists to confirm the diagnosis of narcolepsy or narcolepsy with cataplexy.

This work is significant because people with narcolepsy at a young age can live with it until they become adults, by then they will start having severe symptoms that can cause heart damage and will cause them to have a harder time living with narcolepsy. Narcolepsy can be very dangerous  to live with, it can cause danger to whoever has it and to the people surrounded by them. Most people with narcolepsy do not find out they have narcolepsy until they have cause a car accident by falling asleep behind the wheel. 

 

Works Cited

Morrison, I.Bušková, J.Nevšimalová, S.Douglas, N. J.Riha, R. L. "Diagnosing Narcolepsy With Cataplexy On History Alone: Challenging The International Classification Of Sleep Disorders (ICSD-2) Criteria." European Journal Of Neurology 18.7 (2011): 1017. Advanced Placement Source. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.