title: Childhood narcolepsy in North China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose is to report the results of an effort to diagnose children with narcolepsy in a pediatric referral clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 1998 and December 1999, a program was implemented to emphasize recognition of childhood narcolepsy. Patients underwent brain computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) testing. All children received a MSLT test following a routine night's sleep, and serological HLA typing for HLA DR2. Three who reported occasional snoring also underwent nocturnal PSG prior to the MSLT.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  METHODS
  N/A.
  
  
  RESULTS
  29 (21 male, 8 female) children were identified with sleepiness and cataplexy. There was no evidence for brain functional or structural disease or for drug use. Sleep paralysis was elicited in 41%; hypnagogic hallucinations, in 59%. Psychosocial problems including emotional irritability and social isolation were present in 93% of the patients. Mean sleep latency on MSLT was 2.0+/-1.3 minutes; sleep-onset rapid eye movement (SOREM) occurred during 2/5 naps in 28 of 29 patients and 3/5 in 26/29 patients. The average number and latency of SOREM episodes were 4.2+/-0.9 episodes and 4.0+/-1.7 minutes, respectively. In those with snoring, a nocturnal PSG did not disclose sleep apneas/hypopneas. All patients but one were HLA DR2 positive. The estimated clinic incidence was 0.04%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A program for recognition in a referral neurology clinic combined with an availability of the MSLT and HLA testing resulted in the new identification in North China of a number of children with narcolepsy syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, People's Hospital, BMU, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Strohl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D017286:Polysomnography; D014851:Wakefulness / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens