"UM : Science" [S03-ep02]: A Revolution in the Treatment of Narcolepsy
This week on *A l’UM * la science, Yves Dauvilliers, a neurologist at Montpellier University Hospital and a researcher at the Institute of Neurosciences, discusses a rare disease: narcolepsy. In the second half of the program, Patrick Lemaire presents the *Sciences en images* exhibition “Life Is Beautiful.”
Perhaps because it isn’t visible, or perhaps because people imagine it to be painless, narcolepsy—which affects about 20,000 people in France—is one of those conditions that tends to elicit a smile. And while the film *Narco*, directed by Tristan Aurouet and Gilles Lellouche, helped raise public awareness of this condition 20 years ago, it also gave it an aura of constant humor by depicting the comical situations that these uncontrollable bouts of sleepiness can indeed cause.
In real life, narcolepsy is a severe disability for those who suffer from it: difficulties at work, of course, difficulties driving, weight gain, irritability, loss of self-confidence… In short, the lives of people with narcolepsy are anything but smooth sailing. Fortunately, treatments have advanced over the past twenty years, and they’ve just taken a giant leap forward thanks to a new molecule developed by our guest’s team. Yves Dauvilliers is a neurologist specializing in sleep at Montpellier University Hospital, a researcher at the Montpellier Institute of Neurosciences, and also the coordinator of the four French reference centers for narcolepsy.
Further Reading
- Read the press release: A Major Step Forward in the Treatment of Narcolepsy
- View the publication " Oral Orexin Receptor 2 Agonist in Type 1 Narcolepsy"
- Read the article "A New Treatment for Narcolepsy " published in Lum magazine
Our last-minute guest is Patrick Lemaire, head of the MRI platform (Montpellier Ressources Imagerie) and , a researcher at CRBM, the Center for Molecular Biology Research. He’ll be talking to us about the “Sciences en images” exhibition titled “Life Is Beautiful,” presented by the imaging and cytometry platform to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The exhibition opens on September 29 and will run through October 31.
At "UM : Science," here's the lineup—let's get started!
Co-production: Divergence FM / University of Montpellier
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault / Lucie Lecherbonnier
Director: Tom Chevalier
Listen to the show “A l’UM la science” on Divergence FM 93.9
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