Catalepsy vs Cataplexy – What’s the difference?

Catalepsy and cataplexy are neurological symptoms that can be difficult to diagnose. They both share the same root causes, but they differ in certain ways. While catalepsy causes you to feel like your body becomes rigid and motionless, cataplexy makes you feel weak or tired. While there is no cure for these conditions, treatment options exist

What are they?

Catalepsy and cataplexy are rare neurological disorders. They’re forms of catatonia and narcolepsy, respectively, and are caused by abnormal brain chemistry.

Both disorders involve the loss of voluntary muscle tone (catalepsy) or an inability to maintain muscle tone (cataplexy). This means you can’t control your muscles when they’re relaxed–for example, if someone were to put their hand on your shoulder while sitting down next to them at lunchtime, their touch would cause no reaction from your body whatsoever because all voluntary muscles have shut down.

What causes them?

• Catalepsy is caused by a brain injury, or it can be inherited. It involves the loss of certain brain cells that control muscle tone and movement.
• Cataplexy is caused by the loss of certain brain cells that control voluntary muscle activity (consciously moving your muscles).

How do they differ from each other?

The main difference between the two is that catalepsy is a loss of muscle tone and cataplexy is a sudden loss of muscle tone.

For example, if you’re standing up, your body has certain muscles that are working to keep it upright. If those muscles suddenly become paralyzed or lose their ability to contract, then it’s called catalepsy–you might fall over or slump down into a chair. In contrast, if those same muscles suddenly contract so much that they cause pain or injury (like when someone kicks you), then it’s called cataplexy–you might drop what was in your hand at the time (or even bite off part of your tongue).

What are the symptoms of catalepsy and cataplexy?

The symptoms of catalepsy and cataplexy are very similar, but they do have some key differences.

Here are some of the most common signs to look out for:

• A sudden loss of muscle tone or strength in your body. This can happen during sleep and may cause you to fall over when standing up (this is called “somnolence”). It can also happen when walking around or sitting upright–you might suddenly collapse without warning if this happens! If this happens often enough, it could cause problems with everyday activities like driving or working out at the gym.
• Loss of voluntary movement control over various parts of your body such as your arms or legs; sometimes these muscles will move on their own without any input from thought processes within our brains (this is called “cataleptoid” movements). This can be dangerous because it makes it difficult for people affected by these conditions not only control their movements but also interact with other people socially since they won’t be able to respond properly due having no control over what happens next!

Can you die from catalepsy or cataplexy?

You can’t die from catalepsy or cataplexy. They are not life threatening, contagious and they are not hereditary. They are also not genetic.

Catalepsy and cataplexy are two uncommon neurological disorders that can be difficult to diagnose.

Cataplexy is a form of catalepsy, which is a rare disorder that causes the body to freeze in place for several seconds or minutes at a time. It may also cause muscle weakness and loss of motor control during these episodes. In contrast, cataleptic seizures last longer than typical seizures (which usually occur for only 10-30 seconds).

Catalepsy can be caused by low blood pressure or other conditions affecting your nervous system such as stroke, brain tumor and multiple sclerosis (MS).

Catalepsy and cataplexy are two uncommon neurological disorders that can be difficult to diagnose.