The young man suffers from this rare neurological disease characterized by hypersomnia, cognitive and behavioral disorders. A disorder that mainly affects young adults, men more than women.
The case of Maxime M., mentioned on March 10 by the newspaper South West, is rare but spectacular. The 17-year-old was able to experience periods of sleep of up to 23 hours a day. Hypersomnia which is one of the characteristics of the disease from which he suffers, the Kleine-Levin syndrome.
Extremely rare (its prevalence is around one case per million), this illness has long been considered an atypical form of bipolar disorder. Among the various hypotheses put forward to explain its appearance, one suggests that the symptoms are linked to a malfunction of the hypothalamus, a region of the brain which contributes to the regulation of sleep. Another hypothesis evokes an autoimmune disease.
A study has shown that 10% of affected patients would have been subject to psychological problems before the appearance of Kleine-levin syndrome.
Very disturbing episodes for daily life
Symptoms are cyclical. With each episode, they appear quickly and can persist for several days or several weeks. In many cases, these episodes become less frequent, attenuate and disappear when approaching the age of thirty.
During an episode of Kleine-Levin, beyond hypersomnia, the subjects can be irritable, suffer from a total lack of energy, an absence of emotion and withdrawal. They can also be victims of hallucinations. These epidodes seriously disrupt the daily life of patients, especially since they occur at an age that corresponds to the end of schooling or the start of higher education.
Diagnosis of this disease is often delayed. Prevention of Kleine-Levin episodes relies on mood-regulating treatments. Several treatments have been used, stimulants, antiepileptics, antidepressants and antipsychotics, but the rarity of the disease makes long-term follow-up of patients difficult.
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