Narcolepsy in children and adolescents: An often unrecognised problem

Narcolepsy is a neurological disorder characterised by extreme sleepiness. Among other things, those affected suffer from attacks of falling asleep, need more sleep at night and/or have a constant need for sleep during the day. This disorder usually occurs in the second or third decade of life - but younger children can also be affected, says Prof Dr Ulf Kallweit, holder of the endowed professorship for narcolepsy and hypersomnolence research at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H). "When young people talk about tiredness, this is often dismissed as a lack of sleep, partying or laziness."

Narcolepsy is often not recognised as an illness

However, there may be a serious illness behind it. However, more than five years often pass between the onset of the first symptoms and the final diagnosis. Common misdiagnoses include attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression or typical adolescent behaviour. "However, daytime sleepiness in narcolepsy cannot be compared with normal tiredness. A person with narcolepsy is practically unable to resist the need to sleep, similar to someone who has not slept for 48 hours," says Prof Kallweit. As a rule, narcolepsy even leads to the recognition of a severe disability; those affected are entitled to compensation for disadvantages in school, training or studies.

It is therefore essential that parents, teachers and doctors recognise the symptoms of narcolepsy at an early stage and take them seriously. Timely diagnosis and treatment can significantly improve the quality of life of those affected, which is why Ulf Kallweit is always keen to raise awareness of this issue.

Further background information on narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder. It is one of the so-called primary sleep-wake disorders and affects around 40,000 people in Germany. In this disease, the immune system mistakenly attacks the central nervous system. This destroys certain nerve cells that produce orexin. Orexin is a substance that is important for regulating our sleep-wake rhythm. If these cells are destroyed, the body can no longer control sleep and wakefulness properly. The main symptoms of narcolepsy include

• Chronic daytime sleepiness
• Attacks of falling asleep
• Automatic actions (microsleep)
• Disturbed night sleep with intense dreams
• Sleep-related hallucinations

Cataplexies also occur in type 1 narcolepsy. These are sudden, temporary losses of muscle tone that are triggered by strong emotions such as laughter or anger. This muscle weakness is often visible on the face through an open mouth and/or a dropping of the head. Consciousness remains intact.