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Narcolepsy

Last reviewed: 25 Jan 2026
Last updated: 31 Jul 2024

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • excessive daytime sleepiness
  • cataplexy
  • hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations
  • sleep paralysis
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • chronic fatigue or tiredness
  • poor performance at work
  • poor memory and concentration
  • car accidents
  • slurred speech
  • blurred vision
  • irregular breathing pattern
  • sleep attacks
  • fragmented nocturnal sleep
  • symptoms of other sleep disorders
  • obesity
  • status cataplecticus
  • hepatomegaly
  • paresis
Full details

Risk factors

  • low cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin
  • human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQB1*0602
  • Prader-Willi syndrome
  • Niemann-Pick disease type C
  • linkage to 4p13-q21
  • genes on chromosome 6 or chromosome 21
  • hypothalamic tumors
  • hypothalamic infarct/hemorrhage
  • head trauma
  • central nervous system infection
  • central nervous system arteriovenous malformations
  • multiple sclerosis
  • myotonic dystrophy
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • actigraphy and sleep diary
  • overnight polysomnography
  • multiple sleep latency test (MSLT)
Full details

Tests to consider

  • HLA typing
  • cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 level
  • maintenance of wakefulness test
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ONGOING

adults with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)

adults with cataplexy

children with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS)

children with cataplexy

Contributors

Authors

Octavian C. Ioachimescu, MD, PhD
Octavian C. Ioachimescu

Associate Professor

Emory University

Atlanta VA Medical Center

Atlanta

GA

Declarações

OCI is an editor of a book cited in this topic.

Revisores

Kumaraswamy Budur, MD

Medical Doctor

Sleep Disorders Center

Department of Psychiatry

Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland

OH

Declarações

KB declares that he has no competing interests.

Seiji Nishino, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Psychiatry and Behavioral Science

Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford

CA

Declarações

SN declares that he has no competing interests.

Kingman P. Strohl, MD, FCCP

Professor of Medicine

Director

Center for Sleep Disorders Research

Professor of Anatomy

Department of Medicine

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland

OH

Declarações

KPS declares that he has no competing interests.

Paul Reading, MBBS

Consultant Neurologist

James Cook University Hospital

Middlesbrough

UK

Declarações

PR declares that he has no competing interests.

Créditos aos pareceristas

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Referências

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Principais artigos

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The AASM International classification of sleep disorders – third edition, text revision (ICSD-3-TR). Jun 2023 [internet publication].Texto completo

Smith MT, McCrae CS, Cheung J, et al. Use of actigraphy for the evaluation of sleep disorders and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2018 Jul 15;14(7):1231-7.Texto completo  Resumo

Maski K, Trotti LM, Kotagal S, et al. Treatment of central disorders of hypersomnolence: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 Sep 1;17(9):1881-93.Texto completo  Resumo

Bassetti CLA, Kallweit U, Vignatelli L, et al. European guideline and expert statements on the management of narcolepsy in adults and children. Eur J Neurol. 2021 Sep;28(9):2815-30.Texto completo  Resumo

Maski K, Trotti LM, Kotagal S, et al. Treatment of central disorders of hypersomnolence: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 Sep 1;17(9):1895-945.Texto completo  Resumo

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.
  • Diagnósticos diferenciais

    • Untreated sleep apnea
    • Periodic limb movements of sleep
    • Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
    Mais Diagnósticos diferenciais
  • Diretrizes

    • Recommended protocols for the multiple sleep latency test and maintenance of wakefulness test in children: guidance from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
    • The AASM manual for the scoring of sleep and associated events
    Mais Diretrizes
  • Folhetos informativos para os pacientes

    Sleep apnea in adults (obstructive)

    Insomnia

    Mais Folhetos informativos para os pacientes
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