What does cataplexy mean?
Definitions for cataplexy
cat·a·plexy
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word cataplexy.
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Wiktionary
cataplexynoun
An abrupt loss of muscle tone, sometimes associated with narcolepsy.
Etymology: From German Kataplexie, from.
Wikipedia
Cataplexy
Cataplexy is a sudden and transient episode of muscle weakness accompanied by full conscious awareness, typically triggered by emotions such as laughing, crying, or terror. Cataplexy affects approximately 70% of people who have narcolepsy, and is caused by an autoimmune destruction of hypothalamic neurons that produce the neuropeptide hypocretin (also called orexin), which regulates arousal and has a role in stabilization of the transition between wake and sleep states. Cataplexy without narcolepsy is rare and the cause is unknown. The term cataplexy originates from the Greek κατά (kata, meaning "down"), and πλῆξις (plēxis, meaning "strike") and it was first used around 1880 in German physiology literature to describe the phenomenon of tonic immobility also known as "playing possum" (in reference to the opossum's behavior of feigning death when threatened). In the same year the French neuropsychiatrist Jean-Baptiste Gélineau coined the term 'narcolepsy' and published some clinical reports that contain details about two patients who have similar condition as the narcoleptic cases nowadays. Nevertheless, the onset reported by him was in adulthood as compared to the nowadays cases reported in childhood and adolescence. Even if he preferred the term 'astasia' instead of 'cataplexy' the case described by him remained iconic for the full narcoleptic syndrome.
Wikidata
Cataplexy
Cataplexy is a sudden and transient episode of loss of muscle tone, often triggered by emotions such as laughing, crying, terror, etc. It is a rare disease, but affects roughly 70% of people who have narcolepsy. However, in rare cases, cataplexy occurs without the co-occurrence of narcolepsy. The exact cause of cataplexy is unknown, but the condition is strongly linked to experiencing intense emotions and reduced levels of the neurochemical hypocretin. Cataplexy can also be present as a side effect of SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome. The term cataplexy originates from the Greek κατά, and πληξις.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Cataplexy
kat′a-plex-i, n. the kind of mesmeric sleep of animals under a sudden shock of terror—the state of 'shamming death.'—adj. Cataplec′tic. [Gr. kataplēssein, to strike down.]
U.S. National Library of Medicine
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)
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of cataplexy in Chaldean Numerology is: 4
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of cataplexy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
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"cataplexy." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 17 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/cataplexy>.
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