{
  "id": 175103,
  "title": "Why laughter can trigger sudden muscle weakness in people with narcolepsy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/why-laughter-can-trigger-sudden-muscle-weakness-in-people-with",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-05T12:00:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-08-laughter-trigger-sudden-muscle-weakness.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Narcolepsy, a neurological condition affecting sleep-wake regulation, is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden lapses in muscle strength called cataplexy. While researchers understand that cataplexy is often triggered during positive emotional experiences, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Harvard Medical School researchers conducted a study to investigate why cataplexy frequently occurs during pleasant social interactions.\n\nThe researchers utilized a mouse model of narcolepsy to explore the role of oxytocin, a hormone associated with social bonding and positive emotions. They discovered that oxytocin could induce cataplexy in mice that lacked orexin, a peptide involved in narcolepsy symptoms. Additionally, blocking oxytocin receptors prevented cataplexy triggered by social interactions. The study also revealed that oxytocin-sensitive neurons in the central amygdala, a brain region linked to cataplexy, overlapped with reward-related pathways. This suggests that positive emotions may share a common neural network with cataplexy onset. Further research is necessary to determine if these findings apply to humans and to identify potential therapeutic targets for socially induced cataplexy in narcolepsy.",
  "summary": "Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological condition characterized by disruptions in the regulation of sleep-wake cycles. People with this condition often experience extreme sleepiness during the day and, in some cases, a sudden but temporary loss of muscle strength while conscious, called cataplexy.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}