Cataplexy Emotional Trigger Questionnaire (CETQ)--a brief patient screen to identify cataplexy in patients with narcolepsy.
OBJECTIVE
This pilot study explored the sensitivity and specificity of a brief survey to determine the presence of cataplexy. We hypothesized that the brief questionnaire could provide a quick, sensitive, and specific screening tool to identify those patients with cataplexy, which would result in more timely referrals for further diagnostic testing.


METHODS
The pilot study utilized a brief questionnaire that was developed by including 5 questions that were found to be strong positive predictors of cataplexy from a previous 51-item cataplexy questionnaire.


METHODS
Participants with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis completed the questionnaire via mail correspondence or at the time of scheduled appointments in the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorder Center, Rochester, Minn.


METHODS
Seventy-eight patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy and 78 patients with obstructive sleep apnea completed the questionnaire.


METHODS
NA.


RESULTS
The sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value/were computed for each question individually, along with appropriate 95% confidence intervals.


CONCLUSIONS
The first item of the cataplexy emotional trigger questionnaire (CETQ) discriminates patients with cataplexy from controls with excellent sensitivity and specificity. The addition of the other 4 questions, in the context of question 1, did not improve specificity, area under the curve, positive predictive value, or negative predictive value but did provide useful confirmatory data. Thus, a single question provides a brief practical tool that could improve the recognition of cataplexy in the clinical setting. Depending on the circumstance, users may be interested in utilizing 1 or all 5 questions.
Moore
Wendy R
WR
Sleep Disorders Center, Department of Nursing, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. moore.wendy@mayo.edu
Silber
Michael H
MH
Decker
Paul A
PA
Heim-Penokie
Patricia C
PC
Sikkink
Vicki K
VK
Slocumb
Nancy
N
Richardson
Jarrett W
JW
Krahn
Lois E
LE
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires