"I'm always sleepy, am I ill?" – Case report of narcolepsy in adolescence

AIMS: Excessive daytime sleepiness is relatively common in adolescence, and rarely has a pathological etiology. The authors report a case of excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy in a teenager, and a review of the literature about this disease. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 16 year-old adolescent, fe...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Antunes, Joaquina da Conceição Fernandes, Fernandes, Pedro, Silveira, Alzira
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:Brasil
Institución:Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS)
Repositorio:Scientia Medica (Porto Alegre. Online)
Idioma:portugués
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br:article/15877
Acceso en línea:https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/scientiamedica/article/view/1980-6108.2014.1.15877
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:REM SLEEP PARASOMNIAS
DISORDERS OF EXCESSIVE SOMNOLENCE
NARCOLEPSY
ADOLESCENCE.
PARASSONIAS DO SONO REM
DISTÚRBIOS DO SONO POR SONOLÊNCIA EXCESSIVA
NARCOLEPSIA
ADOLESCÊNCIA.
Descripción
Sumario:AIMS: Excessive daytime sleepiness is relatively common in adolescence, and rarely has a pathological etiology. The authors report a case of excessive daytime sleepiness due to narcolepsy in a teenager, and a review of the literature about this disease. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 16 year-old adolescent, female, since one year ago with excessive daytime sleepiness and microsleeps during her daily activities, despite adequate sleep hygiene. Physical examination was normal. Analytical study, electroencephalogram and polysomnography unremarkable. The multiple sleep latency test revealed a sleep latency of 4:22 minutes and two REM (Rapid Eye Movement) periods at sleep onset (SOREMp), suggestive of severe hypersomnia with criteria of narcolepsy. Treatment with modafinil was started, with favorable outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Narcolepsy is a rare and under diagnosed disorder in children. The disease has a negative impact on the child’s emotional, behavioral and school/work life, which can be minimized by an adequate and timely diagnosis and therapeutics.