2007•PubMedRequires access
[Narcolepsy: a new perspective on diagnosis and treatment].
Rolf Fronczek, W L M van der Zande, J. Gert van Dijk, Sebastiaan Overeem, Gert Jan Lammers
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Abstract
The 5 classic symptoms of narcolepsy are excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disturbed nocturnal sleep. The presence of cataplexy is strongly associated with a deficiency of the neuropeptide hypocretin. This discovery has led to new diagnostic subclassifications: narcolepsy without cataplexy, which can be demonstrated by a multiple sleep latency test, and narcolepsy with cataplexy, which can be confirmed with a multiple sleep latency test or a cerebrospinal fluid deficiency of hypocretin I. Various treatment options are available, including psychostimulants and gamma hydroxybuterate.