Understanding Narcolepsy; Symptoms, Causes And Treatments

Cataplexy

Cataplexy is a sudden and uncontrollable muscle weakness or paralysis that occurs during the waking hours. It is triggered without warning of intense emotion, usually laughter, though other triggers can be feelings of annoyance, happiness, excitement, surprise, or stress. A patient affected by cataplexy remains awake and is aware of what is happening but experiences loss of muscle control and can have a slack jaw, broken speech and weakness in their face and limbs, or can even become temporarily paralyzed. The duration is brief, tending to last anywhere from a few seconds to minutes. Although cataplexy is most commonly associated with narcolepsy, it has been seen in other conditions such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, head injuries, and encephalitis.

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