Narcolepsy: current treatment options and future approaches
نویسنده
چکیده
The management of narcolepsy is presently at a turning point. Three main avenues are considered in this review: 1) Two tendencies characterize the conventional treatment of narcolepsy. Modafinil has replaced methylphenidate and amphetamine as the first-line treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and sleep attacks, based on randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of modafinil, but on no direct comparison of modafinil versus traditional stimulants. For cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hypnagogic hallucinations, new antidepressants tend to replace tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in spite of a lack of randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these compounds; 2) The conventional treatment of narcolepsy is now challenged by sodium oxybate, the sodium salt of gammahydroxybutyrate, based on a series of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials and a long-term open label study. This treatment has a fairly good efficacy and is active on all symptoms of narcolepsy. Careful titration up to an adequate level is essential both to obtain positive results and avoid adverse effects; 3) A series of new treatments are currently being tested, either in animal models or in humans, They include novel stimulant and anticataplectic drugs, endocrine therapy, and, more attractively, totally new approaches based on the present state of knowledge of the pathophysiology of narcolepsy with cataplexy, hypocretine-based therapies, and immunotherapy.
منابع مشابه
Current and Future Treatment Options for Narcolepsy: A Review
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological sleep disorder with potentially disabling symptoms ranging from occupational concerns to mental health difficulties. Recent advances related to the neurobiological basis of narcolepsy have led to newer pharmacological treatment options and adjunctive behavioral techniques that support symptom management. This article outlines evidence-based pharmacologic the...
متن کاملUnmet needs of patients with narcolepsy: perspectives on emerging treatment options
The treatment options currently available for narcolepsy are often unsatisfactory due to suboptimal efficacy, troublesome side effects, development of drug tolerance, and inconvenience. Our understanding of the neurobiology of narcolepsy has greatly improved over the last decade. This knowledge has not yet translated into additional therapeutic options for patients, but progress is being made. ...
متن کاملHypocretin receptor antagonists for insomnia: rationale and clinical data
Loss of hypocretin neurons leads to sleep attacks and cataplexy in a rare sleep disorder known as narcolepsy. The hypocretin system stabilizes states of wakefulness and sleep through complex neural pathways. Insomnia, on the other hand, is a common sleep disorder characterized as difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep. Current treatment options for insomnia are limited to cognitive-behavior...
متن کاملAn overview of Treatment options for urinary stones
Urolithiasis has become a worldwide problem with the prevalence of the disease increasing over the past few decades. While various treatment modalities have evolved over the years, discrepancies exist regarding the clinical indications and the efficacy of each of these treatment options. In the present review, we aim to review the current treatment modalities for urinary tract stones to provide...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment
دوره 4 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008