Cataplexy

A condition characterized by transient weakness or paralysis of somatic musculature triggered by an emotional stimulus or physical exertion. Cataplexy is frequently associated with NARCOLEPSY. During a cataplectic attack, there is a marked reduction in muscle tone similar to the normal physiologic hypotonia that accompanies rapid eye movement sleep (SLEEP, REM). (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p396)

Also Known As:

Networked: 604 relevant articles (53 outcomes, 69 trials/studies)

Relationship Network

Disease Context: Research Results

Related Diseases

1.	Narcolepsy
2.	Disorders of Excessive Somnolence (Hypersomnia)
3.	Sleep Paralysis
4.	Hallucinations (Hallucination)
5.	Seizures (Seizure)

Experts

1.	Mignot, Emmanuel: 48 articles (12/2015 - 06/2002)
2.	Plazzi, Giuseppe: 39 articles (09/2015 - 11/2005)
3.	Dauvilliers, Yves: 36 articles (01/2015 - 02/2002)
4.	Nishino, Seiji: 29 articles (11/2014 - 03/2002)
5.	Pizza, Fabio: 18 articles (09/2015 - 11/2009)
6.	Lin, Ling: 18 articles (01/2015 - 11/2006)
7.	Kanbayashi, Takashi: 16 articles (02/2015 - 03/2002)
8.	Arnulf, Isabelle: 16 articles (06/2014 - 11/2004)
9.	Vandi, Stefano: 15 articles (08/2015 - 11/2005)
10.	Lammers, Gert Jan: 15 articles (04/2015 - 10/2002)

Drugs and Biologics

Drugs and Important Biological Agents (IBA) related to Cataplexy:

1.	Sodium Oxybate (gamma Hydroxybutyrate)FDA Link 09/01/2005 - "In the largest study of its kind, sodium oxybate was highly effective for the treatment of cataplexy. " 03/01/2006 - "Sodium oxybate is safe and effective for the treatment of cataplexy. " 03/01/2006 - "In placebo-controlled trials, sodium oxybate demonstrated efficacy in reducing the number of cataplexy attacks. " 03/01/2006 - "Study selection included human trials evaluating safety and efficacy of sodium oxybate for the treatment of cataplexy. " 03/01/2004 - "This controlled trial provides evidence supporting the long-term efficacy of sodium oxybate for the treatment of cataplexy. "
2.	modafinil (armodafinil)FDA Link 02/01/2001 - " The best-assessed treatment is modafinil, which has no demonstrated efficacy on cataplexy. " 08/01/2010 - "In narcoleptic patients, modafinil in comparison with placebo is effective in the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness, but not cataplexy." 04/15/2011 - "Reinstitution of modafinil and an alternate antidepressant for recurrent sleepiness and cataplexy was well tolerated and very effective. " 10/01/2010 - "In a double-blind and placebo-controlled design, 24 drug-naive narcoleptic patients with cataplexy and 20 control subjects were administered modafinil or placebo over a period of 4 weeks. " 06/01/2008 - "Brain SPECT was performed twice during the awake state before and after modafinil or placebo administration for 4 weeks in 43 drug-naive narcoleptics with cataplexy (M/F = 23/20, 29.5 +/- 5.8 years). "
3.	Clomipramine (Anafranil)FDA LinkGeneric 02/01/2002 - "Clomipramine is an effective treatment of cataplexy. " 01/01/1985 - "Treatment of excessive daytime somnolence is still primarily based upon CNS stimulants while treatment of cataplexy and other related symptoms rests on chlorimipramine. " 07/01/1979 - "Clomipramine hydrochloride effectively controlled the cataplexy and partially alleviated the daytime sleep attacks. " 07/01/1979 - "Severe hypermotility during sleep in treatment of cataplexy with clomipramine." 01/01/1974 - "Treatment of cataplexy with clomipramine."
4.	orexins (orexin)IBA 01/01/2013 - "Orexin gene transfer into the dorsolateral pons significantly decreased cataplexy and modestly improved wake maintenance compared to the orexin KO mice that did not receive rAAV. " 10/01/2008 - "During the 4-day life-span of the vector the incidence of cataplexy declined by 60%, and the levels of rapid eye movement sleep during the second half of the night were similar to levels in wild-type mice, indicating that narcoleptic sleep-wake behavior in orexin KO mice can be improved by targeted gene transfer." 05/07/2014 - "Because the orexin/hypocretin system has been implicated in the control of metabolism and addiction as well as sleep/wake regulation, orexin-tTA; TetO DTA mice are a novel model in which to study these functions, for pharmacological studies of cataplexy, and to study network reorganization as orexin input is lost. " 09/23/2011 - "The present study investigated the effects of attractive and aversive odor stimuli, i.e., urine samples of coyote and female mice, on narcoleptic episodes (cataplexy, sleep attacks) in orexin-deficient mice. " 07/01/2006 - "Recent studies have shown reduced hypocretin-1 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of narcoleptic patients with cataplexy. "
5.	Imipramine (Janimine)FDA LinkGeneric 08/01/1996 - "The course of the patient's symptomatology and the favourable response of his symptoms to stimulants and imipramine support the theory that his intermittent loss of sphincter control is part of his narcolepsy-cataplexy." 09/01/1987 - "For cataplexy and the other two auxiliary symptoms of narcolepsy, imipramine or other tricyclics are the drugs of choice. " 04/01/1981 - "The current treatments of choice include general measures (such as patient and family counseling and frequent napping) and drug treatments, including methylphenidate for sleepiness and sleep episodes and imipramine for cataplexy. " 12/01/1976 - "The current treatments of choice are methylphenidate (for sleepiness and sleep episodes) and imipramine (for cataplexy). " 01/01/1971 - "The influence of imipramine, dexphenmetrazine and amphetaminsulphate upon the clinical and polygraphic picture of narcolepsy-cataplexy."
6.	Intravenous Immunoglobulins (IVIG)FDA Link 12/03/2008 - "The neutralizing effect of IVIg on the autoantibody provides a rationale for the reported clinical improvement in cataplexy when IVIg are given at disease onset." 10/01/2010 - "On a group level, IVIG treatment ≤ 9 months from disease duration predicted reduction of cataplexy (p=0.004) and sleepiness (p=0.066). " 01/01/2006 - "Recent pilot open trials with intravenous immunoglobulins appear an effective treatment of cataplexy if applied at early stages of narcolepsy. " 10/01/2008 - "Our data partially support the recent report of the efficacy of IVIg treatment in early diagnosed narcolepsy with cataplexy and support the need for a controlled multicenter clinical trial on IVIg in narcolepsy." 12/01/2008 - "We report on four patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC), who were treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). "
7.	Tricyclic Antidepressive Agents (Tricyclic Antidepressants)IBA 07/01/1992 - "Treatment of sleepiness with stimulants and cataplexy with tricyclic antidepressants leads to substantial improvement but does not fully resolve symptoms in most patients." 06/01/1989 - "At times, episodes of cataplexy were virtually continuous (status cataplecticus), and there was only partial amelioration with tricyclic antidepressants. " 01/01/1986 - "Cataplexy is usually controlled by tricyclic antidepressants, but these drugs interact with several central monoamine systems and also exert an anticholinergic effect. " 11/01/2014 - "Successful treatment of cataplexy in patients with early-infantile Niemann-Pick disease type C: use of tricyclic antidepressants." 09/01/1998 - "The cataplexy associated with narcolepsy can be managed with tricyclic antidepressants. "
8.	Fluoxetine (Prozac)FDA LinkGeneric 09/27/2005 - "Unusually prolonged rebound cataplexy after withdrawal of fluoxetine." 04/01/1994 - "The results of this pilot study demonstrate that fluoxetine safely and effectively suppresses cataplexy and reduces the need for other, less desirable, anticataplectic agents." 04/01/1994 - "We evaluated fluoxetine in six patients with poorly controlled cataplexy by beginning patients on a single 20 mg dose without any change in their current medications. " 04/01/1994 - "Fluoxetine suppresses human cataplexy: a pilot study." 06/01/1986 - "Fluoxetine in the treatment of cataplexy."
9.	venlafaxine (Effexor)FDA LinkGeneric 01/01/2013 - "We describe successful treatment of cataplexy in a 3-year-old using venlafaxine and subsequently followed for over 2 years." 01/01/2013 - "Treatment of cataplexy in a three-year-old using venlafaxine." 04/01/2009 - "A third patient with partial cataplexy was treated with 75 mg of venlafaxine daily. " 02/01/2010 - "Use of venlafaxine in the treatment of a canine narcolepsy-cataplexy case." 04/01/2009 - "We describe clinical case reports of venlafaxine treatment in 6 children aged 7-12 years old when diagnosed with narcolepsy-cataplexy. "
10.	Antidepressive Agents (Antidepressants)IBA 01/01/2001 - "Cataplexy and other REM sleep associated symptoms are effectively treated with REM sleep suppressing antidepressants." 12/01/2011 - "Thus prior to a trial of a new medication for cataplexy, antidepressants were carefully tapered and cataplexy rates monitored. " 05/01/2011 - "Our study shows that the women and the patients using antidepressants and stimulants (combination) have a higher probability for depressive symptoms independent of the presence of cataplexy. " 01/01/2015 - "However, systematic research evidence supporting antidepressants for cataplexy is lacking. " 07/01/2014 - "Despite major advances in understanding disease mechanisms in cataplexy, therapeutic management is largely symptomatic, with antidepressants and γ-hydroxybutyrate being the most effective treatments. "

Therapies and Procedures

1.	Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) 05/01/2013 - "Pharmacotherapy options for cataplexy." 10/01/2004 - "Pharmacotherapy for cataplexy." 10/01/2004 - "An update on the pharmacotherapy of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy." 03/01/2004 - "In contrast with antidepressant drug therapy, there is no evidence of rebound cataplexy upon abrupt discontinuation of treatment." 11/01/1998 - "The present results do not support the notion that the mAchR is the main site of action of pharmacotherapy in the marked clinical improvement of human cataplexy."
2.	Immunotherapy 06/01/2008 - "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." 08/01/2011 - "Narcolepsy-cataplexy induced by a cow milk oral immunotherapy protocol?" 03/01/2010 - "These potential options include novel stimulant and anticataplectic drugs as well as immunotherapy, based on current knowledge of the pathophysiology of narcolepsy with cataplexy. "
3.	Oral Administration 11/01/2000 - "Both acute and chronic oral administration of sulpiride (300 mg/dog, 600 mg/dog) significantly reduced cataplexy without noticeable side effects. " 07/01/2000 - "Two-week oral administration of CG-3703 (16 mg/kg) significantly reduced cataplexy and daytime sleep. " 07/01/2000 - "The effects on cataplexy and daytime sleep of acute and chronic oral administration of CG-3703, a potent TRH analog were assessed in canine narcolepsy. " 07/01/2000 - "Chronic oral administration of CG-3703, a thyrotropin releasing hormone analog, increases wake and decreases cataplexy in canine narcolepsy." 12/01/1993 - "This, however, is an apparent contradiction to data obtained in human patients, which show that chronic oral administration of serotonergic uptake inhibitors, such as clomipramine, zimelidine and fluoxetine, is effective in reducing cataplexy. "
4.	Cesarean Section (Caesarean Section) 10/01/2013 - "The rate of caesarean sections was higher in the narcolepsy-cataplexy group compared to the narcolepsy group (P < 0.05). " 10/01/2010 - "We report the management of a morbidly obese parturient suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy who presented for caesarean section. " 10/01/2010 - "Neuraxial anaesthesia for caesarean section in a patient with narcolepsy and cataplexy."
5.	Off-Label Use 03/01/2012 - "We report our experience with the off-label use of pitolisant in 4 teenagers with narcolepsy/cataplexy with severe daytime sleepiness, refractory to available treatments (modafinil, methylphenidate, mazindol, sodium oxybate, and D-amphetamine). "