title: Status cataplecticus as initial presentation of late onset narcolepsy.
abstract: Narcolepsy, one of the important causes of hypersomnia, is an under diagnosed sleep disorder. It has a bimodal age of onset around 15 and 35 years. It is characterized by the tetrad of excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic/ hypnopompic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. Cataplexy is by far the most predictive feature of narcolepsy. Status cataplecticus is the occurrence of cataplexy repeatedly for hours or days, a rare presentation of narcolepsy. This report describes an elderly gentleman with late onset narcolepsy in the sixth decade of life presenting with initial and chief symptom of status cataplecticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sleep Medicine and Neurophysiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Samhita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panda
mesh_terms: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002385:Cataplexy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002997:Clomipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000077408:Modafinil; D009290:Narcolepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D064690:Wakefulness-Promoting Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D001559:Benzhydryl Compounds; D064690:Wakefulness-Promoting Agents; D002997:Clomipramine; D000077408:Modafinil
keywords: Narcolepsy; cataplexy; head drop; late-onset; status cataplecticus