Frequencies and Associations of Narcolepsy-Related Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Lenise Jihe Kim, Fernando Morgadinho Coelho, Camila Hirotsu, Paula Araujo, Lia Bittencourt, Sergio Tufik, Monica Levy Andersen
Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine December 15, 2015 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.5268 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,008 |
| Population | Inhabitants of São Paulo city, Brazil, participating in the São Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study (EPISONO) |
| Measures | Epworth Sleepiness Scale |
| Topics | Depression |
| Keywords | Humans Hallucinations Narcolepsy Sleep paralysis Fatigue Polysomnography Prevalence Cross-sectional studies Anxiety disorders Comorbidity Adult Brazil Female Surveys and questionnaires Epidemiological Symptomatology |
| Key findings | Narcolepsy-related symptoms were common in this urban sample: 39.2% reported excessive daytime sleepiness, 15.0% cataplectic-like symptoms, 9.2% hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, and 14.9% sleep paralysis. Symptomatic participants (n = 451) were predominantly women and younger, and narcolepsy symptomatology was associated with poor quality of life and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue. |
Abstract
Objectives: Narcolepsy is a disabling disease with a delayed diagnosis. At least 3 years before the disorder identification, several comorbidities can be observed in patients with narcolepsy. The early recognition of narcolepsy symptoms may improve long-term prognosis of the patients. Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of the symptoms associated with narcolepsy and its social and psychological association in a sample of Sao Paulo city inhabitants.
Methods: We performed a cross-sectional evaluation with 1,008 individuals from the Sao Paulo Epidemiologic Sleep Study (EPISONO). Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was assessed by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Volunteers were also asked about the occurrence of cataplectic-like, hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis symptoms. The participants underwent a full-night polysomnography and completed questionnaires about psychological, demographic, and quality of life parameters.
Results: We observed a prevalence of 39.2% of EDS, 15.0% of cataplectic-like symptom, 9.2% of hypnagogic or hypnopompic hallucinations, and 14.9% of sleep paralysis in Sao Paulo city inhabitants. A frequency of 6.9% was observed when EDS and cataplectic-like symptoms were grouped. The other associations were EDS + hallucinations (4.7%) and EDS + sleep paralysis (7.5%). Symptomatic participants were predominantly women and younger compared with patients without any narcolepsy symptom (n = 451). Narcolepsy symptomatology was also associated with a poor quality of life and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
Conclusions: Narcolepsy-related symptoms are associated with poor quality of life and worse psychological parameters.
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