Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which involves other symptoms, in addition to the loss of muscle tone Muscle weakness, which is not usually as abrupt and intermittent as cataplexy Syncope, which usually involves dizziness or a feeling of light-headedness, which are not features of cataplexy Seizures, which usually include loss of consciousness, which is not a characteristic of cataplexy Other conditions that can cause falls or a loss of muscle tone include: Sudden loss of muscle tone can occur with several conditions that need to be ruled out before cataplexy is considered the cause. The diagnosis of cataplexy involves a medical history and a detailed assessment of symptoms. Sometimes cataplexy is the first sign of these conditions, but it usually begins to happen after other symptoms have started to occur. An autoimmune process in which the immune system attacks the cells in the brain that make hypocretin is considered a possible cause of this cell loss in narcolepsy type 1. Narcolepsy type 2 does not include cataplexy.Ĭataplexy occurs with several different medical conditions, the most common of which is narcolepsy type 1.Ĭataplexy is associated with a decrease in certain brain cells that produce hypocretin, also known as orexin, a hormone that’s involved in maintaining a regular sleep-wake cycle. It is partly categorized, as follows, based on whether it includes cataplexy:
Narcolepsy is a medical condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden bouts of daytime sleep. The frequency of episodes can vary, depending on the underlying condition and whether or not it is treated.Įpisodes of cataplexy can occur without a trigger, but they can also be preceded by emotional signs, such as laughing, surprise, or extreme and rapid changes in mood.Īn episode of cataplexy can look like the following: This is a distinguishing characteristic that can differentiate cataplexy from a seizure, syncope (fainting), or a psychiatric condition.Īn episode of cataplexy may last for seconds at a time. A key feature of cataplexy is that it does not affect consciousness. Jaromir / Getty Images Cataplexy SymptomsĬataplexy occurs abruptly and without warning.
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