For some individuals dealing with the feeling that we got in the case of sleep deprivation is every day. They are suffering from hypersomnia that is known as Kleine-Levin syndrome.
What is Kleine-Levin Syndrome?
Kleine-Levin syndrome is an extremely rare complex neurological condition. In the individuals that suffer from it, the syndrome causes a huge need for sleep during the day for up to 20 hours a day.
The periods of these attacks can last up to weeks. They can be triggered by alcohol consumption, seasonal infections or intense fatigue.
Thibault Courduries is a young man with this syndrome. He describes his condition during attacks that lasted up to 3 weeks. He says he stays in his bed for almost 18 hours a day. His father described his symptoms as the presence of hypersomnia. Also, he notices a notable apathy in his son’s character with the impression of being in a permanent dream state.
The causes of the disease are still unknown, but a diagnosis can be made based on functional images of the patient’s brain. The images present anomalies in the involvement of the internal temporal lobe which are manifested by a decrease in the activity of the region.
A feeling of strangeness can be noticed by the patients. This is linked to a dysfunction of the temporoparietal crossroads which integrates the information that arrives through our senses. In a crisis, its dysfunction gives a description of the world that is disturbed and not synchronized, hence the sensation of derealization.
Kleine Levin syndrome is a disorder that usually appears during adolescence. Men are more affected than women by this syndrome, which usually goes away at the age of thirty.
