• C Guilleminault and R Pelayo.
• Stanford Sleep Disorder Clinic, Stanford University Medical Center, CA 94305, USA.
• Ann. Neurol. 1998 Jan 1; 43 (1): 135-42.

AbstractNarcolepsy was diagnosed in 51 children (29 boys). The age range was 2.1 to 11.8 years (mean, 7.9 +/- 3.1 years). A mean of three referrals was made before narcolepsy was considered. In 10 children, cataplexy was the presenting symptom. Thirty-eight children acknowledged sleep paralysis and 30 acknowledged hypnagogic hallucinations. All children had sleep studies; 31 exhibited rapid eye movement at sleep onset. The mean sleep latency was 1.5 minutes +/- 39 seconds on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. All children had at least two sleep-onset rapid eye movement sleep episodes in this test. Forty-six children were HLA class II-positive for DQw6, and 45 were also positive for DRw15. Thirty (65%) families refused referrals to support and counseling groups. Teachers often refused to acknowledge a medical problem. During follow-up, all children presented at least once with depressive symptoms in reaction to their syndrome. Narcolepsy should be considered when evaluating children with behavioral and depressive symptoms.

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