Executive attention and working memory in narcoleptic outpatients.
OBJECTIVE
This pioneering study aimed to evaluate executive attention and working memory in Brazilian narcoleptic outpatients.


METHODS
Narcoleptic group: 19 treated narcoleptic outpatients (13 F; 6 M) (mean age=37.58; SD = 8.93); control group: 19 subjects (15 F; 4 M) (mean age=34.42; SD=12.31).


METHODS
Epworth Sleepiness Scale - Brazilian Portuguese Version (ESS-BR), Victoria Stroop Test (VST), Trail Making Test (TMT) and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) of WAIS-III.


RESULTS
Significant difference at Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) (p<0.001) and at working memory (p=0.009) with worse results for narcoleptic patients. Patients were slower at VST-1 (p=0.002), VST-2 (p=0.045) and at TMT-A (p=0.016), TMT-B (p=0.006) and B-A (p=0.024).


CONCLUSIONS
Narcoleptic patients showed higher degrees of EDS, an impaired executive attention at a temporal level and lower performance in working memory when compared to normal controls.
Sleep Medicine Advanced Research Group, Division of Clinical Neurology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Mirleny
M
Moraes
Sueli
S
Rossini
Rubens
R
Reimão
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult