Narcolepsy and ADHD
November 9, 2025
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17:29Now PlayingNarcolepsy and ADHD
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Narcolepsy is a rare condition characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and abruptly falling asleep. Night time sleep is also disrupted, with REM episodes occurring immediately upon falling asleep. Sleep paralysis, and hallucinations upon falling asleep or wakening can result from an intermixing of usually separate stages of sleep. Some individuals, particularly those whose narcolepsy comes from destruction of orexin (alerting) neurons in the lateral hippocampus, also have bouts of cataplexy, or complete loss of muscle tone, often triggered by strong emotions.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is also a frequent symptom of ADHD. Those with ADHD are more likely than the general population to have narcolepsy, and those with narcolepsy are more likely to have ADHD than the general population. Genes involved with dopamine, autoimmune processes, iron storage, and glial cell activity contribute to both conditions. But a clever research design called Mendelian randomization strongly indicates that having narcolepsy doesn't cause ADHD, and that having ADHD doesn't cause narcolepsy.
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Videos Mentioned:
What is ADHD?:
Fatigue and ADHD:
Orexin Blocking Sleep Medications:
Modafinil for ADHD:
References:
GWAS meta-meta-analysis and related analyses revealed a shared genetic background between ADHD and narcolepsy (2025)
A Guide to Understanding Mendelian Randomization Studies (2025)
Narcolepsy and psychiatric disorders: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study (2024)
Polygenic risk score analysis revealed shared genetic background in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy (2020)
Full Chapter list:
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Psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author John Kruse, MD, PhD presents practical, actionable, well-researched information about treatment options that scientists and clinicians recommend for adult ADHD and other mental health conditions.
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