drugs to treatment narcolepsy cataplexy and anxiety

In this study, the Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale (UNS), a questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 44, was used to measure sleepiness and the frequency and severity of cataplexy.Īfter 8 weeks of treatment, the average reduction in the UNS score was 4 points greater in children taking Wakix than in those taking placebo. In a third study involving 105 patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy, Wakix was also more effective than placebo at reducing the number of cataplexy attacks: the number of cataplexy attacks decreased from around 9 to 3 per week in patients taking Wakix, while it remained at around 7 per week in patients taking placebo.Ī fourth study involved 110 children with narcolepsy from 6 to 17 years of age, the majority of whom also had cataplexy. Modafinil and armodafinil are first-line choices for the treatment of EDS. Narcolepsy is known to be caused by deficiencies in hypocretin, a chemical produced by the hypothalamus that helps control levels of wakefulness, and a study reported in the December 27, 2009, Nature Medicine found that human subjects experiencing panic anxiety had elevated levels of hypocretin in their cerebrospinal fluid compared with subjects. When looking at sleepiness with an objective test called Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), the results of the two studies together showed that Wakix significantly improved wakefulness compared with placebo. Multiple classes of drugs may be used to target either EDS or cataplexy (see Table).

The second study, however, did not show a difference between Wakix and placebo at reducing sleepiness or cataplexy. Results from this study also showed a decrease in the number of cataplexy attacks. The first study showed that Wakix was more effective than placebo at reducing daytime sleepiness: patients taking Wakix had an average reduction of 3 points more in the ESS scale than those taking placebo after 8 weeks of treatment. This is a standard scale used in patients with narcolepsy which ranges from 0 to 24. The main measure of effectiveness was based on how sleepy patients felt during daytime, assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale or ESS.

The studies compared Wakix with placebo (a dummy treatment). Wakix has been investigated in 2 main studies involving a total of 261 adults with narcolepsy, the majority of whom also had cataplexy.

Drugs to treatment narcolepsy cataplexy and anxiety