What Is Horse Cataplexy?

Horses with narcolepsy may exhibit a temporary lack of muscle tone and reflexes (cataplexy). Familial narcolepsy has been reported in some breeds, with sporadic cases noted in other breeds. The exact cause of narcolepsy in horses is unknown and there is no cure.

What are the symptoms of cataplexy?

Cataplexy. This sudden loss of muscle tone while a person is awake leads to weakness and a loss of voluntary muscle control. It is often triggered by sudden, strong emotions such as laughter, fear, anger, stress, or excitement. The symptoms of cataplexy may appear weeks or even years after the onset of EDS.

How serious is cataplexy?

Are there possible complications? Symptoms of cataplexy and narcolepsy can happen without warning. An episode can be dangerous and even deadly if you’re driving a car or operating machinery. An episode can also cause harm if it happens while you’re doing an activity that involves heat or dangerous objects.

Can cataplexy be treated?

These older antidepressants, such as protriptyline (Vivactil), imipramine (Tofranil) and clomipramine (Anafranil), are effective for cataplexy, but many people complain of side effects, such as dry mouth and lightheadedness. Sodium oxybate (Xyrem). This medication is highly effective for cataplexy.

What causes narcolepsy in a horse?

This study suggests ‘narcolepsy’ of adult horses is not a neurological disorder but rather a REM-sleep deficiency due to recumbent sleep deprivation caused by illness, ethological deficits or husbandry shortcomings.

How long can cataplexy last?

How long does it last? Cataplexy attacks generally last less than two minutes, and they may only last a few seconds, though some people have repeated attacks of cataplexy which persist for up to 30 minutes. During both mild and severe attacks, the person stays fully conscious.

Can cataplexy be reversed?

There is no cure for cataplexy, but it can be managed with medications and modification of potential triggers.

Is cataplexy considered a seizure?

Cataplexy is triggered by emotions that many consider “hysteric” and may be interpreted as “fainting” or “seizure” spells. Failure rates among physicians for diagnosing narcolepsy are high: neurologists 45%, internists 76.5%, general practitioners 78.1%, psychiatrists 88.9%, and pediatricians 100%.

What happens in the brain during cataplexy?

Cataplexy and sleep paralysis are unusual states in which the brain circuits that produce paralysis during REM sleep become active during wakefulness. During REM sleep, most muscles are paralyzed by circuits in the lower brainstem and spinal cord.

Can cataplexy look like a seizure?

The muscle twitching during cataplexy can look like a seizure. In fact, it’s sometimes misdiagnosed as a seizure disorder.

What are the five signs of narcolepsy?

They include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy fall asleep without warning, anywhere, anytime.
• Sudden loss of muscle tone.
• Sleep paralysis.
• Changes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
• Hallucinations.

How do I know if my horse has narcolepsy?

What are the clinical signs of narcolepsy? Clinical signs of narcolepsy can range from lowering of the head to buckling of the knees and sometimes sudden collapse. Affected horses may be observed to frequently rest their heads or hindquarters on fences or other objects. They may exhibit swaying and frequent stumbling.

What are signs of neurological problems in horses?

Lack of coordination, weakness or paralysis of the hind limbs, muscle twitching, impaired vision, head pressing, aimless wandering, convulsions, circling and coma are some of the severe neurologic effects. Horses typically have non-neurologic signs, too, such loss of appetite and a depressed attitude.

What does mild cataplexy look like?

Cataplexy symptoms can range from mild to severe. It’s more common to have mild signs. Those can involve a brief feeling of minor muscle weakness in your face, neck, or arms. For example, your eyebrows might droop, and your speech might slur.

Is cataplexy a neurological disorder?

Narcolepsy with cataplexy, now known as type 1 narcolepsy, is a chronic neurological disorder that affects a person’s sleep-wake cycle and involves muscle weakness.

Can cataplexy affect breathing?

These results provide evidence consistent with impaired control of breathing during sleep and of oxygen saturation in patients with narcolepsy–cataplexy.

Why do emotions trigger cataplexy?

Indeed, cataplexy seems to depend on dysfunctional hypothalamic-amygdala interactions associated with an alteration of the hypocretin levels. Hence, the involvement of emotional brain network in the physiopathology of cataplexy could explain why emotional inputs triggered cataplexy.

Does cataplexy worsen with age?

Symptoms are generally stable across adulthood, though sleepiness and cataplexy may improve slightly with age. Sleepiness that worsens in adulthood may be caused by the sedating effects of medications or the development of an additional sleep disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea.

How do you test for cataplexy?

There isn’t a specific test to detect cataplexy, although it has been suggested that video recordings of episodes may be a helpful tool⁹. Cataplexy is usually diagnosed based on an interview with patients and their families¹⁰.

What are the 5 signs of narcolepsy?

They include:

• Excessive daytime sleepiness. People with narcolepsy fall asleep without warning, anywhere, anytime.
• Sudden loss of muscle tone.
• Sleep paralysis.
• Changes in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
• Hallucinations.

What is the difference between narcolepsy and cataplexy?

Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition producing disruption to the normal sleep pattern. This produces excessive sleepiness. Narcolepsy may occur with or without cataplexy. Cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone and power in response to strong emotion – it always and only occurs as part of narcolepsy .