When discussing sleep in class, I suddenly remembered hearing a story awhile back about someone who had a rare disorder that caused them to sleep for weeks. It turns out this disorder is called Kleine-Levin Syndrome. It is extremely rare, occurring at a rate of one in a million. It mostly occurs in adolescent males, and is interestingly prevalent in Jews in the United States and Israel.
KLS is often triggered by an infection such as the flu. The disorder causes the person to experience episodes of excessive sleep, up to 20 hours a day, which can last for a few days or even weeks. Those affected by KLS can also experience abnormally increased appetite (hyperphagia), increased sex drive (hypersexuality), and changes in mood and cognitive abilities. Some patients act very childlike during episodes. At least 80% of cases involve derealization (perception of the outside world seems unreal) and apathy. Afterwards, the person often cannot remember everything that happened during the episode.
The cause of KLS seems to be a mystery, though there are various theories:
1. Some doctors think it may have something to do with a malfunction of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls appetite and sleep.
2. The thalamus most likely plays a role in the excessive sleep, the temporal lobe could be the cause of cognitive disabilities, and the symptoms of apathy and disinhibition point to dysfunction of the frontal lobe.
3. There is an imbalance in the serotonin and dopamine pathways.
4. Genetics could play a role since KLS is common in Jews and certain families.
5. KLS is an autoimmune disorder.
Stimulants such as amphetamine and methylphenidate can be prescribed to treat sleepiness, but can cause increased irritability and won't help restore cognitive abilities. As of now, lithium is the only drug that has been shown to prevent recurrences of KLS symptoms. If an individual with KLS goes six years without any symptoms they are considered to be cured.
Interesting article on a girl living with KLS: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1249895/Louisa-Ball-Real-life-Sleeping-Beauty-sleeps-weeks-time.html
This was so interesting! I remember talking about this in class and wanting to learn more. Personally, I wouldn't mind sleeping for a few weeks, but I guess it can be pretty dangerous. It's amazing and scary to think that there are hundreds of rare disorders like this one that can really affect a person's life. It kind of reminds me of all the random fears that people have.
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ReplyDeleteLily,
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting post. KLS is such a mystifying syndrome. I wonder though, why it's prevalent among Jews and why lithium is the only drug that has been shown to prevent recurrences of these symptoms. Reading the article, I realized, yet again, how lucky we are to have functioning bodies. This girl is missing out on so many important milestones in her life, and she can't even control it. I had read something about this syndrome before, and your post really helped answer some questions I had about it!