Narcolepsy and depression.
Narcolepsy main symptoms include excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Its chronic course is accompanied by psychosocial impairment added to the difficulties and side effects of stimulants and tricyclics long term use. Depressive complaints are occasionally reported. The aim of this paper was to evaluate objectively the possibility of depression in a sample of 12 narcoleptics (7F; 5M), with mean age of 53 years (12 years SD), using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). The results showed absence of depressive disorder in 75.0% of the cases according to BDI (or 58.3% according to HAM-D). The remaining patients had mild depression (only one patient presented major depression). The findings showed no correlation between narcolepsy and major depression.
Adda
C
C
Neurology Clinic Division, São Paulo University Medical School, Brasil.
Lefévre
B
B
Reimão
R
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants