Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder that most people associate with humans, characterized by random and excessive drowsiness and sleep attacks. Did you know that horses can get it too? What is equine narcolepsy?
Equine narcolepsy is a disease of the nervous system that severely impacts sleep. The primary symptoms are excessive drowsiness (sleep attacks, cataplexy or sudden loss of muscle tone, and sleep paralysis. It is rare in horses and there is no cure for it. It impacts the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep.
Although this disease is rare, it is still important to understand it on a basic level. Continue below to learn more about equine narcolepsy.
What Causes Equine Narcolepsy?
Narcolepsy is a nervous system disorder that impacts the rapid eye movement (REM) phase of sleep. Symptoms include extreme drowsiness, cataplexy or sudden loss of muscle tone, and sleep attacks. The sleep attacks are random and triggered by inactivity, soothing petting, or being led to pasture. Sleep attacks are random and can occur at any time during the day. Both foals and adults can contract it, it is a chronic (lifelong) disease, and there is treatment but no cure. Regular exercise has not been found to bring on episodes.
Episodes can range from buckling of the knees or bobbing of the head from drowsiness to sudden collapse, lasting from seconds to minutes. Some horses will even lie down completely.
The exact cause of equine narcolepsy is unknown, but it does appear to be more common in certain breeds and involves genetic factors. The most common explanation for the disorder is changes or imbalances in nerve cells called neurotransmitters that affect sleep, specifically serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine. The deficiency in these chemical messengers and other nervous system components changes the sleep cycle and makes it more likely that the horse will fall asleep.
Diagnosis and Treatment/Prevention of Narcolepsy in Horses
Narcolepsy in horses is typically diagnosed through a physical exam by a vet. The vet reviews the history of the horse, orders testing, and rules out the possibility that there is a different diagnosis. Vets will test the horse’s hypocretin as low levels of it in the cerebrospinal fluid are common in equine narcolepsy. It is difficult to confirm that a horse has the disease because they behave normally in between episodes.
Horses with equine narcolepsy receive a prescribed course of the anti-depressant Impiramine throughout their lifetime. Anti-depressants treat narcolepsy episodes because they raise levels of the serotonin hormone. There is currently no other treatment or prevention methods because so little is known about the disease.
The prognosis of a horse with narcolepsy depends on the frequency of the episodes and whether or not they are physically injured during them. A horse could break a leg if they collapse suddenly and quickly, which severely impacts their quality of life.
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