Partial cataplexy4/29/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() Muscle atonia is also present during cataplexic episodes indicating postsynaptic hyper-polarization of the spinal cord 6. In general, the episodes are of rapid onset, short duration and have bilateral presentation. The frequency of cataplexic episodes is thought to be worse at disease onset as it appears to later decrease 9. Narcolepsy with cataplexy (N+C) patients may be more apt to exhibit severe forms of the disorder and most often require additional medications to treat their cataplexy. without cataplexy, as cataplexy may moderate such findings.Ĭataplexy, a common symptom of narcolepsy triggered by strong emotional stimuli, is characterized by a partial or total muscle weakness affecting the face, limbs or shoulders, but with retention of consciousness and normal respiratory and ocular muscle activity 9. This current systematic review examines epidemiological and laboratory findings among pediatric populations while comparing narcolepsy with vs. without cataplexy, partly due to the belief that some of those presenting with narcolepsy without cataplexy can later turn into those with cataplexy 8. A few studies have focused specifically on narcolepsy’s presentation and progression in children however, most reviews have not examined characteristics of those cases with vs. Despite these challenges, however, there may be a shorter lag time to diagnosis following symptom onset among pediatric populations than among adult populations 7. Although studies suggest a bimodal onset with peak incidence occurring around 15- and 36-years of age 4, cases starting as young as 6-7 months have been reported 5.Ĭhallenges to diagnosing narcolepsy in the pediatric population include its atypical symptom presentation as it mimics other disorders (e.g., seizures and syncope), the need for naps in preschoolers as a normal entity masking narcolepsy, young children’s limited ability to self-report symptoms, children’s compensatory over-activity to self-stimulate (e.g., appearing to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 6), and a lack of knowledge about the disorder among many pediatric specialists 7. Narcolepsy is sometimes associated with vivid dreams, as well as other rapid eye movement (REM) phenomena such as sleep paralysis (SP), hypnagogic and/or hypnopompic hallucination, automatic actions and interrupted nighttime sleep. Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and/or sleep attacks. Narcolepsy is an uncommon neurological disorder affecting 0.02-0.067% of the population 1, although rates may vary with higher prevalence found in the Japanese population 0.16% 2 and lower prevalence in the Israeli population 0.002% 3. ![]()
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