BACKGROUND: Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological syndrome with prevalence between 0.018% and 0.040% without important ethnic differences. Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. The pathophysiology of the illness is not known; even so it possesses genetic marker (allele HLA DQB1 *0602) and with abnormalities in the neurotransmission of hypocretin has been described in patients with narcolepsy. OBJECTIVES: Resume news discoveries in narcolepsy and show diagnoses and treatment options. METHODS: Bibliographic review. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The diagnoses of narcolepsy must be done with The International Classification of Sleep Disorders criteria. The hypocretin dosage is the best exam to confirm diagnose in narcoleptic patients with typical cataplexy. The treatment is carried through with behavior actions and symptomatic drugs that promote the vigil and control the cataplexy. Differential diagnoses as schizophrenia, epilepsy, depression and others sleep disorders need to be eliminated.
Narcolepsy; genetics; immunology; diagnosis and treatment
