title: Pseudo-narcolepsy: case report.
abstract: This report describes the case of a 44-year-old woman presenting to a Sleep and Alertness clinic with symptoms of narcolepsy. The patient had clinical and polysomnographic features of narcolepsy, which disappeared after disclosure of severe psychological stress. Following a discussion of the differential diagnosis of narcolepsy, alternative diagnoses are considered. The authors suggest that the patient had a hysterical conversion disorder, or "pseudo-narcolepsy." Careful inquiry into psychological factors in unusual cases of narcolepsy may be warranted.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry, Toronto Hospital, Ont., USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003291:Conversion Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007046:Hysteria / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000175:diagnosis*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000502:physiology