Narcolepsy and cataplexy: a pediatric case report

Abstract

Narcolepsy is characterized by excessive sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis during the rapid eye movement period of sleep. Herein, we present a boy aged eight years who was diagnosed as having narcolepsy and cataplexy about thirteen months after his first presentation. He was admitted with symptoms of daytime sleepiness. In the follow-up, cataplexy in the form of head dropping attacks developed seven months after the first admission. The patient was investigated for different prediagnoses and was eventually diagnosed as having narcolepsy and cataplexy through polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests thirteen months after the first presentation. He is being followed up and is under drug therapy; his symptoms have improved substantially. (Turk Pediatri Ars 2016; 51: 221-3)

Narcolepsia na Infância: A Atuação Multidisciplinar com a Psicologia do Sono do Diagnóstico ao Tratamento em um Relato de Caso

“…Ataques incontroláveis de sono e cataplexia devem ser corretamente diferenciados de crises epilépticas, que ocorrem por uma descarga neuronal excessiva, de modo que epilepsia, meningoencefalites e condições estruturais neurológicas mostram-se importantes como diagnósticos diferenciais de narcolepsia na infância (Savaş, Erol, Saygi, & Habeşoğlu, 2016;Srikanta & Kumar, 2019). Além disso, exames de neuroimagem e o eletroencefalograma podem compor a propedêutica auxiliar da diferenciação.…”

Prader–Willi syndrome: an update

“…It is important to recognize this aspect of PWS as not to delay treatment. We often see the first manifestation of cataplexy in PWS when individuals are taking solid foods and experience head drops (the child falling asleep and loss of muscle tone) due to the strong emotional response to food [38,39].…”