Kleine- Levin syndrome is caused by an inherited autosomal dominant trait that affects the hypothalamus gland.
Kleine-Levin syndrome is rare condition characterized by extreme require for sleep, food, and sexual disinhibition. Symptoms, which may last for days to weeks, include excessive food intake, irritability, disorientation, lack of energy, and hypersensitivity to noise. They may also appear confused (disoriented) and experience hallucinations. In some cases, the symptoms associated with Kleine-Levin syndrome eventually disappear with advancing age. However, episodes may recur later during life. Most people with Kleine-Levin syndrome are adolescent males.
The Kleine-Levin sleep phase has been likened to the cataplexy associated with narcolepsy. Hereditary factors may cause several individuals to have a genetic predisposition to developing the disorder. It is thought that symptoms of Kleine-Levin syndrome may be associated to malfunction of the portion of the brain that helps to regulate functions such as sleep, appetite, and body temperature. Kleine-Levin may also be related in several methods to Prader-Willi Syndrome which, in turn, is sometimes associated with autism.
There are only about 500 known sufferers of this condition in the world. There is no ultimate treatment for Kleine-Levin syndrome. Stimulants, including amphetamines, methylphenidate, imipramine and modafinil, administered orally, are employed d to treat sleepiness. Responses to treatment have frequently been limited. This disorder needs to be differentiated from cyclic re-occurrence of sleepiness during the premenstrual period in teenage girls that may be controlled with hormonal contraception.
