A Standford Medicine news report notes that a Stanford physician uses a narcoleptic dog when treating with children with narcolepsy to help them understand the condition.

The Stanford narcoleptic dog colony, started by sleep pioneer William Dement, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, allowed Mignot to discover the genetic basis for canine narcolepsy and helped to enhance understanding of the human condition, which affects about 1 in 2,000 people.