Narcolepsy, prevalence

Although difficult to estimate, the prevalence of narcolepsy is between 0.03% and 0.06%.7 Significant differences have been reported for various ethnic groups. Narcolepsy has a higher prevalence in the Japanese and a lower prevalence in the Israeli populations.8,9 Cataplexy is not required for diagnosis however, between 50% and 80% of patients with narcolepsy have accompanying cataplexy.10... 

Of the 88 sleep disorders listed in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (12), the better-known and more prevalent disorders are the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, insomnia, restless legs syndrome/periodic limb movement disorder, and narcolepsy (see also Chap. 5).These sleep disorders are common, and are known to interfere with the quality of sleep this chapter addresses the socioeconomic impact of these disorders. 

The prevalence of narcolepsy with cataplexy is 1 in 10,000 or 0.02% to 0.16% worldwide (69). Patients usually present with complaints of excessive daytime sleepiness before the onset of hypnogogic/hypnopompic hallucinations, sleep... 

Leon-Munoz L, de la Calzada MD, Guitart M. [Accidents prevalence in a group of patients with the narcolepsy- cataplexy syndromel. Rev Neurol 2000 30(6) 596-598. 

Obviously, sleep disorders are a major cause of traffic accidents because of their prevalence but also because of their danger (high-risk ratio of death and injury). If OS AS is a well-covered field, other diseases such as narcolepsy and hypersomnias are not as frequently investigated. This could be explained by the low prevalence and therefore the limited public-health impact of accidents generated by these patients. We strongly believe that research must be conducted in this field to provide better information on the driving aptitude of these patients. 

Narcolepsy is a rare disease characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness. It has a prevalence of 0.05% in the general population and affects an estimated 140,000 people in the United States. In 2002, the FDA approved sodium oxybate (Xyrem ) for the treatment of cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy. The active ingredient in this drug is gamma hydroxybutyrate, or GHB. The development and marketing of sodium oxybate was permitted after a revision of the Date Rape Prevention Act of 2000 (see Chapter 5) that allowed GHB to be legally administered for medical purposes. 

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