title: Executive functions, information sampling, and decision making in narcolepsy with cataplexy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) affects neurotransmitter systems regulating emotions and cognitive functions. This study aimed to assess executive functions, information sampling, reward processing, and decision making in NC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one NC patients and 58 healthy participants performed an extensive neuropsychological test battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NC patients scored as controls in executive function tasks assessing set shifting, reversal learning, working memory, and planning. Group differences appeared in a task measuring information sampling and reward sensitivity. NC patients gathered less information, tolerated a higher level of uncertainty, and were less influenced by reward contingencies than controls. NC patients also showed reduced learning in decision making and had significantly lower scores than controls in the fifth block of the IOWA gambling task. No correlations were found with measures of sleepiness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NC patients may achieve high performance in several neuropsychological domains, including executive functions. Specific differences between NC patients and controls highlight the importance of the hypocretin system in reward processing and decision making and are in line with previous neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria. margarete.delazer@i-med.ac.at
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delazer
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Högl
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zamarian
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wenter
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gschliesser
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ehrmann
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brandauer
authors.forename: Zehra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cevikkol
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frauscher
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000150:complications*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*