Narcolepsy - A chronic brain disorder that makes people have …show more content…
In some cases this can be a disease that is not genetic. An accident that a person was involved in and had traumatic injuries to parts of the brain that contribute to REM sleep. Tumors that grow in the same area can also be a big part leading to narcolepsy. Other causes can be as simple as going through hormone changes while in puberty or even menopause, when a person does not get enough sleep, going on an unhealthy diet, or even too much stress. People with this disease experience low levels of the neurotransmitter hypocretin. This is what wakes people up. Narcolepsy is sporadic, which means that people that get the disease don’t always have a family history with it. Close relatives can get the disease but it is rare. When cataplexy is present it is because of the loss of brain cells that produce the Hypocretin. Since the body lacks hypocretin is does not always accept it so the immune system takes over destroying and attacking hypocretin that contains brain