病因目前尚不明确。
中枢神经系统病理:例如头部外伤、[12]Ebrahim IO, Peacock KW, Williams AJ. Posttraumatic narcolepsy - two case reports and a mini review. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005 Apr 15;(2)1:153-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17561629?tool=bestpractice.com[13]Silber MH. Narcolepsy, head injury, and the problem of causality. J Clin Sleep Med. 2005 Apr 15;1(2):157-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17561630?tool=bestpractice.com[14]Bruck D, Broughton RJ. Diagnostic ambiguities in a case of post-traumatic narcolepsy with cataplexy. Brain Inj. 2004 Mar;18(3):321-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14726290?tool=bestpractice.com脑卒中、[15]Scammell TE, Nishino S, Mignot E, et al. Narcolepsy and low CSF orexin (hypocretin) concentration after a diencephalic stroke. Neurology. 2001 Jun 26;56(12):1751-3.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11425947?tool=bestpractice.com[16]Bjornstad B, Goodman SH, Sirven JI, et al. Paroxysmal sleep as a presenting symptom of bilateral paramedian thalamic infarctions. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Mar;78(3):347-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12630588?tool=bestpractice.com脑或下丘脑肿瘤、[5]Marcus CL, Trescher WH, Halbower AC, et al. Secondary narcolepsy in children with brain tumors. Sleep. 2002 Jun 15;25(4):435-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12071545?tool=bestpractice.com[17]Rosenfeld MR, Eichen JG, Wade DF, et al. Molecular and clinical diversity in paraneoplastic immunity to Ma proteins. Ann Neurol. 2001 Sep;50(3):339-48.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11558790?tool=bestpractice.com[18]Schwartz WJ, Stakes JW, Hobson JA. Transient cataplexy after removal of a craniopharyngioma. Neurology. 1984 Oct;34(10):1372-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6541312?tool=bestpractice.com[19]Aldrich MS, Naylor MW. Narcolepsy associated with lesions of the diencephalon. Neurology. 1989 Nov;39(11):1505-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2812331?tool=bestpractice.com[20]Arii J, Kanbayashi T, Tanabe Y, et al. A hypersomnolent girl with decreased CSF hypocretin level after removal of a hypothalamic tumor. Neurology. 2001 Jun 26;56(12):1775-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11425955?tool=bestpractice.com[21]Malik S, Boeve BF, Krahn LE, et al. Narcolepsy associated with other central nervous system disorders. Neurology. 2001 Aug 14;57(3):539-41.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11502932?tool=bestpractice.com中枢神经系统感染[17]Rosenfeld MR, Eichen JG, Wade DF, et al. Molecular and clinical diversity in paraneoplastic immunity to Ma proteins. Ann Neurol. 2001 Sep;50(3):339-48.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11558790?tool=bestpractice.com[22]Gledhill RF, Bartel PR, Yoshida Y, et al. Narcolepsy caused by acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Arch Neurol. 2004 May;61(5):758-60.http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=785788http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15148155?tool=bestpractice.com或炎症、[19]Aldrich MS, Naylor MW. Narcolepsy associated with lesions of the diencephalon. Neurology. 1989 Nov;39(11):1505-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2812331?tool=bestpractice.com[23]Rubinstein I, Gray TA, Moldofsky H, et al. Neurosarcoidosis associated with hypersomnolence treated with corticosteroids and brain irradiation. Chest. 1988 July;94(1):205-6.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3383638?tool=bestpractice.com[24]Servan J, Marchand F, Garma L, et al. Narcolepsy disclosing neurosarcoidosis [in French]. Rev Neurol (Paris). 1995 Apr;151(4):281-3.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7481382?tool=bestpractice.com动静脉畸形[25]Clavelou P, Tournilhac M, Vidal C, et al. Narcolepsy associated with arteriovenous malformation of the diencephalon. Sleep. 1995 Apr;18(3):202-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7610317?tool=bestpractice.com 或中枢神经系统囊肿、[16]Bjornstad B, Goodman SH, Sirven JI, et al. Paroxysmal sleep as a presenting symptom of bilateral paramedian thalamic infarctions. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003 Mar;78(3):347-9.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12630588?tool=bestpractice.com 和多发性硬化[26]Fleming WE, Pollak CP. Sleep disorders in multiple sclerosis. Semin Neurol. 2005 Mar;25(1):64-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15798938?tool=bestpractice.com,据报道可导致发作性睡病综合征。已经发现副肿瘤性抗-Ma 抗体与发作性睡病有关,特别是与生殖细胞睾丸肿瘤相关联。[17]Rosenfeld MR, Eichen JG, Wade DF, et al. Molecular and clinical diversity in paraneoplastic immunity to Ma proteins. Ann Neurol. 2001 Sep;50(3):339-48.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11558790?tool=bestpractice.com[27]Dalmau J, Graus F, Villarejo A, et al. Clinical analysis of anti-Ma2-associated encephalitis. Brain. 2004 Aug;127(pt 8):1831-44.http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/content/127/8/1831.fullhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15215214?tool=bestpractice.com[28]Landolfi JC, Nadkarni M. Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis and possible narcolepsy in a patient with testicular cancer: case study. Neuro Oncol. 2003 Jul;5(3):214-6.http://neuro-oncology.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/3/214.full.pdf+htmlhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12816728?tool=bestpractice.com[29]Overeem S, Dalmau J, Bataller L, et al. Hypocretin-1 CSF levels in anti-Ma2 associated encephalitis. Neurology. 2004 Jan 13;62(1):138-40.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14718718?tool=bestpractice.com与尼曼 - 匹克症 C 型、[30]Kandt RS, Emerson RG, Singer HS, et al. Cataplexy in variant forms of Niemann-Pick disease. Ann Neurol. 1982 Sept;12(3):284-8.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7137965?tool=bestpractice.com[31]Vankova J, Stepanova I, Jech R, et al. Sleep disturbances and hypocretin deficiency in Niemann-Pick disease type C. Sleep. 2003 Jun 15;26(4):427-430.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12841368?tool=bestpractice.com诺里病、[32]Vossler DG, Wyler AR, Wilkus RJ, et al. Cataplexy and monoamine oxidase deficiency in Norrie disease. Neurology. 1996 May;46(5):1258-61.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8628463?tool=bestpractice.com普拉德 - 威利综合征[33]Manni R, Politini L, Nobili L, et al. Hypersomnia in the Prader Willi syndrome: clinical-electrophysiological features and underlying factors. Clin Neurophysiol. 2001 May;112(5):800-5.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11336895?tool=bestpractice.com有关。
HLA-DQB1*0602 单倍型存在于大约 40% 的发作性睡病不伴猝倒的病例中,以及高达 90% 的发作性睡病伴猝倒的病例中(与普通人群中25%的人存在该基因型相比)。[34]Mignot E, Hayduk R, Black J, et al. HLA DQB1*0602 is associated with cataplexy in 509 narcoleptic patients. Sleep. 1997 Nov;20(11):1012-20.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9456467?tool=bestpractice.com
大多数情况下发作性睡病是散发的;然而,也存在家族聚集性,表明该病有遗传或环境的因素。[35]Hayduk R, Flodman P, Spence MA, et al. HLA haplotypes, polysomnography, and pedigrees in a case series of patients with narcolepsy. Sleep. 1997 Oct;20(10):850-7.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248798/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9415944?tool=bestpractice.com[36]Taheri S, Mignot E. The genetics of sleep disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2002 Aug;1(4):242-50.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12849457?tool=bestpractice.com