Research Paper over Narcolepsy!

General
1

I have Narcolepsy, and have decided to write about it for my Research paper. One of the things, that I would love to include are some of peoples experiences. Of course, I have my own experience but this paper has to be 15 pages long. So if any of you would like to contribute to my paper and share some insight on some of the things that I could include in my research paper i would love to hear what you all have to say.

2

Good morning! I would love to help you in any way i can. I just got disgnosed about year and half ago. I mostly read here and dont say much but this site is wonderful and you dont feel quite so alone.

3

I can help! I am a masters student in human development counseling at Vanderbilt University. I have taken a lot of time to research Narcolepsy since I've been in school. I'm excited that you've chosen to write your research paper on it!

I would be happy to share my experience, but I think I can be a bigger help with content. You might pick and choose what to cover based on what class this paper is for. I apologize if any of this is overkill, but I'm passionate about the condition we both have :)

Suggested Topics:

  • Narcolepsy Definition - a neurological disorder that affects the regulation of sleep cycles
  • Primary symptoms - Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis
  • Secondary symptoms - This isn't necessary but I personally find it interesting. In the information that is specifically for Narcolepsy they don't often cover the symptoms associated with EDS (which are numerous). Secondary symptoms can also include side effects of pharmacological treatment.
  • Prevalence - number of people diagnosed & number of people believed to be undiagnosed
  • History - this information can be hard to find but it's cool
  • Causes & Type I/Type II - this information is hard to make sense of. Essentially, Type I (most cases Narcolepsy with Cataplexy) is attributed to hypocretin (orexin) deficiency, which can be verified with genetic testing. Type II Narcolepsy (most cases without cataplexy) has no clear evidence that I have found regarding causes.
  • Treatment - Pharmacological treatment falls into 3 main categories: both traditional and nontraditional stimulants (i.e. Ritalin, Nuvigil/Provigil), Xyrem is a drug that forces a person into recuperative sleep, and various drugs that treat symptoms of cataplexy.
  • Quality of Life - This is the topic that is nearest and dearest to my heart. People's lives are affected in so many ways by Narcolepsy. One article I read said the Quality of Life impact of Narcolepsy is similar to that of MS or Parkinson's Disease in many cases.

Okay, here are a couple articles I would recommend. If you want more articles or having trouble getting these, let me know!

  1. Brandt, Michelle Lee, and Laberge Monique. "Narcolepsy." The Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders. Ed. Brigham Narins. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2012. 747-750. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.
  2. Goswami, Meeta. "Quality of Life in Narcolepsy." Sleep Medicine Clinics 7.2 (2012): 341-51. Print.
4

Good for you! I will be happy to answer any questions you have!

Please post your final paper for us to learn from your research!

5

I would like to help you. I have lived with N for almost sixty years. I was officially diagnosed fifteen years ago and was prescribed Provigil. I have the full spectrum.....sleep paralysis, cataplexy, wild dreams. It has been an interesting life. I lived on coffee, NoDoze, and Vivarin for many years. You can contact me for any specific info. I am thrilled to learn of people who are able to continue with their advanced education. This is the one sadness in my life that it did not work for me. Perhaps if I had the advantage of medication back then, who knows.

6

Hi JerseyShoreGoldenGirl and Softballbabe,

I removed the personal e-mail address for privacy reasons, so send each other a friend request on this site and you can exchange messages securely that way. Look in the box to the upper right on your Profile Page to find Inbox alerts. Let me know if you have questions.

7

I know that narcolepsy advocates are making teachers more aware of how to spot students who may struggle with EDS (excessive daytime sleepiness) at school. And what kind of accommodations these students might need. A possible topic...

8

You may contact me, I too am trying to write my research project and possibly using narcolepsy for my senior project. Anyone with suggestions feel free to email me as well. Pam