The Burden of Narcolepsy in Adults: A Population Sampling Study Using Personal Media.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain insight in the spectrum of narcolepsy symptoms and associated burden in a large cohort of patients. METHODS: We used the Narcolepsy Monitor, a mobile app, to easily rate the presence and burden of 20 narcolepsy symptoms. Baseline measures were obtained and analyzed from 746 users aged between 18 and 75 years with a reported diagnosis of narcolepsy. RESULTS: Median age was 33.0 years (IQR 25.0-43.0), median Ullanlinna Narcolepsy Scale 19 (IQR 14.0-26.0), 78% reported using narcolepsy pharmacotherapy. Excessive daytime sleepiness (97.2%) and lack of energy were most often present (95.0%) and most often caused a high burden (79.7% and 76.1% respectively). Cognitive symptoms (concentration 93.0%, memory 91.4%) and psychiatric symptoms (mood 76.8%, anxiety/panic 76.4%) were relatively often reported to be present and burdensome. Conversely, sleep paralysis and cataplexy were least often reported as highly bothersome. Females experienced a higher burden for anxiety/panic, memory, and lack of energy. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the notion of an elaborate narcolepsy symptom spectrum. Each symptom's contribution to the experienced burden varied, but lesser-known symptoms did significantly add to this as well. This emphasizes the need to not only focus treatment on the classical core symptoms of narcolepsy.

On-the-road driving performance of patients with central disorders of hypersomnolence.

INTRODUCTION: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness is a core symptom of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, which impairs driving performance. Adequate treatment improves daytime alertness, but it is unclear whether driving performance completely normalizes. This study compares driving performance of patients with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia receiving treatment to that of healthy controls. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1, n = 33), narcolepsy type 2 (NT2, n = 7), or idiopathic hypersomnia (IH, n = 6) performed a standardized one-hour on-the-road driving test, measuring standard deviation of lateral position (SDLP). RESULTS: Results showed that mean SDLP in patients did not differ significantly from controls, but the 95%CI of the mean difference (+1.02 cm) was wide (-0.72 to +2.76 cm). Analysis of subgroups, however, showed that mean SDLP in NT1 patients was significantly increased by 1.90 cm as compared to controls, indicating impairment. Moreover, four NT1 patients requested to stop the test prematurely due to self-reported somnolence, and two NT1 patients were stopped by the driving instructor for similar complaints. CONCLUSION: Driving performance of NT1 patients may still be impaired, despite receiving treatment. No conclusions can be drawn for NT2 and IH patients due to the low sample sizes of these subgroups. In clinical practice, determination of fitness to drive for these patients should be based on an individual assessment in which also coping strategies are taken into account.

Daytime sleep state misperception in a tertiary sleep centre population.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Sleep state misperception is common in various sleep disorders, especially in chronic insomnia with a prevalence ranging between 9-50%. Most prior studies used nocturnal polysomnography (PSG) for the identification of sleep state misperception during nighttime. Our objective was to assess sleep state misperception during daytime in people with sleep disorders with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). METHODS: In this prospective observational study, we assessed the occurrence of, and factors influencing sleep state misperception in consecutive patients undergoing a routine multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) in a tertiary sleep-wake centre included between 2014 and 2017. Mixed models were applied to assess the influence of patients' clinical data on sleep state perception. RESULTS: People with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1, n = 33) and type 2 (NT2, n = 14), idiopathic hypersomnia (IH, n = 56), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA, n = 31) and insufficient sleep syndrome (ISS, n = 31) were included. The prevalence of both classical and reverse sleep state misperception did not differ between the sleep disorders (mean 25%, range 8-37%) after correction for sleep stage, sleep onset latency and age. Longer sleep onset latency and reaching only non-rapid eye movement (REM) sleep stage 1 were significant predictors for classical sleep state misperception. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep state misperception is common in people with NT1 and NT2, IH, OSA, and ISS. Classical sleep state misperception is more frequent in patients with longer sleep onset latencies who only reach non-REM sleep stage 1 during a nap.

H1N1 hemagglutinin-specific HLA-DQ6-restricted CD4+ T cells can be readily detected in narcolepsy type 1 patients and healthy controls.

Following the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, an increased risk of narcolepsy type 1 was observed. Homology between an H1N1 hemagglutinin and two hypocretin sequences has been reported. T cell reactivity to these peptides was assessed in 81 narcolepsy type 1 patients and 19 HLA-DQ6-matched healthy controls. HLA-DQ6-restricted H1N1 hemagglutinin-specific T cell responses were detected in 28.4% of patients and 15.8% of controls. Despite structural homology between HLA-DQ6-hypocretin and -H1N1 peptide complexes, T cell cross-reactivity was not detected. These results indicate that it is unlikely that cross-reactivity between H1N1 hemagglutinin and hypocretin peptides presented by HLA-DQ6 is involved in the development of narcolepsy.

Chronotypes and circadian timing in migraine.

Background It has been suggested that migraine attacks strike according to circadian patterns and that this might be related to individual chronotype. Here we evaluated and correlated individual chronotypes, stability of the circadian rhythm, and circadian attack timing in a large and well-characterised migraine population. Methods In 2875 migraine patients and 200 non-headache controls we assessed differences in: (i) distribution of chronotypes (Münich Chronotype Questionnaire); (ii) the circadian rhythm's amplitude and stability (Circadian Type Inventory); and (iii) circadian timing of migraine attacks. Data were analysed using multinomial and linear regression models adjusted for age, gender, sleep quality and depression. Results Migraineurs more often showed an early chronotype compared with controls (48.9% versus 38.6%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.58-3.69; p < 0.001); as well as a late chronotypes (37.7% versus 38.1%; adjusted OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.10-2.61; p = 0.016). Migraineurs, particularly those with high attack frequency, were more tired after changes in circadian rhythm (i.e. more languid; p < 0.001) and coped less well with being active at unusual hours (i.e. more rigid; p < 0.001) than controls. Of 2389 migraineurs, 961 (40.2%) reported early morning attack onset. Conclusion Migraine patients are less prone to be of a normal chronotype than controls. They are more languid and more rigid when changes in circadian rhythm occur. Most migraine attacks begin in the early morning. These data suggest that chronobiological mechanisms play a role in migraine pathophysiology.

[Kleine Levin Syndrome: more than just periodic hypersomnia]. / Kleine-Levin-syndroom: meer dan periodieke hypersomnie.

BACKGROUND: Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease with periodic hypersomnia as its main feature. Hyperphagia and hypersexuality are also described as classical symptoms, although quite recently it has become clear that the full triad is absent in the majority of patients. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 14-year-old boy developed KLS after a period of flu-like symptoms. Over the course of three years he suffered from seven one-week episodes of extreme hypersomnia (sleeping 18 hours a day), depersonalisation, apathy, anxiety, paranoia, confusion, hallucinations and uninhibited sexual behaviour. He ate little. Ancillary investigations did not reveal any abnormalities. In between these episodes he had no symptoms. CONCLUSION: From this case description and a summary of the symptoms of twelve other patients with KLS, it appears that neuropsychiatric symptoms are much more prominent than hyperphagia and hypersexuality. It is important that the typical KLS phenotype be reappraised, so that the condition can be recognised early and patients managed appropriately.

Restless legs syndrome in migraine patients: prevalence and severity.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our aim was to study not only the prevalence but more importantly the severity and the correlation between sleep quality and restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a large population of well-defined migraine patients as poor sleep presumably triggers migraine attacks. METHODS: In a large cross-sectional and observational study, data on migraine and RLS were collected from 2385 migraine patients (according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders ICHD-IIIb) and 332 non-headache controls. RLS severity (International RLS Study Group severity scale) and sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) were assessed. Risk factors for RLS and RLS severity were calculated using multivariable-adjusted regression models. RESULTS: Restless legs syndrome prevalence in migraine was higher than in controls (16.9% vs. 8.7%; multivariable-adjusted odds ratio 1.83; 95% confidence interval 1.18-2.86; P = 0.008) and more severe (adjusted severity score 14.5 ± 0.5 vs. 12.0 ± 1.1; P = 0.036). Poor sleepers were overrepresented amongst migraineurs (50.1% vs. 25.6%; P < 0.001). Poorer sleep quality was independently associated with RLS occurrence (odds ratio 1.08; P < 0.001) and RLS severity (P < 0.001) in migraine patients. CONCLUSION: Restless legs syndrome is not only twice as prevalent but also more severe in migraine patients, and associated with decreased sleep quality.

The Role of the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus in Cardiac Autonomic Control during Sleep.

BACKGROUND: The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) may play an important role in central autonomic control, since its projections connect to (para)sympathetic relay stations in the brainstem and spinal cord. The cardiac autonomic modifications during nighttime may therefore not only result from direct effects of the sleep-related changes in the central autonomic network, but also from endogenous circadian factors as directed by the SCN. To explore the influence of the SCN on autonomic fluctuations during nighttime, we studied heart rate and its variability (HRV) in a clinical model of SCN damage. METHODS: Fifteen patients in follow-up after surgical treatment for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma (NFMA) compressing the optic chiasm (8 females, 26-65 years old) and fifteen age-matched healthy controls (5 females, 30-63 years) underwent overnight ambulatory polysomnography. Eleven patients had hypopituitarism and received adequate replacement therapy. HRV was calculated for each 30-second epoch and corrected for sleep stage, arousals, and gender using mixed effect regression models. RESULTS: Compared to controls, patients spent more time awake after sleep onset and in NREM1-sleep, and less in REM-sleep. Heart rate, low (LF) and high frequency (HF) power components and the LF/HF ratio across sleep stages were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the SCN does not play a dominant role in cardiac autonomic control during sleep.

Neurology and psychiatry: waking up to opportunities of sleep. : State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.

In recent years, evidence has emerged for a bidirectional relationship between sleep and neurological and psychiatric disorders. First, sleep-wake disorders (SWDs) are very common and may be the first/main manifestation of underlying neurological and psychiatric disorders. Secondly, SWDs may represent an independent risk factor for neuropsychiatric morbidities. Thirdly, sleep-wake function (SWF) may influence the course and outcome of neurological and psychiatric disorders. This review summarizes the most important research and clinical findings in the fields of neuropsychiatric sleep and circadian research and medicine, and discusses the promise they bear for the next decade. The findings herein summarize discussions conducted in a workshop with 26 European experts in these fields, and formulate specific future priorities for clinical practice and translational research. More generally, the conclusion emerging from this workshop is the recognition of a tremendous opportunity offered by our knowledge of SWF and SWDs that has unfortunately not yet entered as an important key factor in clinical practice, particularly in Europe. Strengthening pre-graduate and postgraduate teaching, creating academic multidisciplinary sleep-wake centres and simplifying diagnostic approaches of SWDs coupled with targeted treatment strategies yield enormous clinical benefits for these diseases.

Alterations in diurnal rhythmicity in patients treated for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenoma: a controlled study and literature review.

OBJECTIVE: Patients treated for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMAs) have fatigue and alterations in sleep characteristics and sleep-wake rhythmicity frequently. As NFMAs often compress the optic chiasm, these complaints might be related to dysfunction of the adjacent suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). We aimed to explore whether indirect indices of SCN functioning are altered in the long term after surgery for NFMAs. METHODS: We studied 17 NFMA patients in long-term remission after transsphenoidal surgery, receiving adequate and stable hormone replacement for hypopituitarism, and 17 control subjects matched for age, gender, and BMI. Indirect indices of SCN function were assessed from 24-h ambulatory recordings of skin and core body temperatures, blood pressure, and salivary melatonin levels. Altered melatonin secretion was defined as an absence of evening rise, considerable irregularity, or daytime values >3 pg/ml. We additionally studied eight patients treated for craniopharyngioma. RESULTS: Distal-proximal skin temperature gradient did not differ between NFMAs and control subjects, but proximal skin temperature was decreased during daytime (P=0.006). Core body temperature and non-dipping of blood pressure did not differ, whereas melatonin secretion was often altered in NFMAs (OR 5.3, 95% CI 0.9-30.6). One or more abnormal parameters (≥2.0 SDS of control subjects) were observed during nighttime in 12 NFMA patients and during daytime in seven NFMA patients. Similar patterns were observed in craniopharyngioma patients. CONCLUSION: Heterogeneous patterns of altered diurnal rhythmicity in skin temperature and melatonin secretion parameters were observed in the majority of patients treated for NFMAs. On a group level, both NFMA and craniopharyngioma patients showed a lower daytime proximal skin temperature than control subjects, but other group averages were not significantly different. The observations suggest altered function of central (or peripheral) clock machinery, possibly by disturbed entrainment or damage of the hypothalamic SCN by the suprasellar macroadenoma or its treatment.

Carotid body tumors are not associated with an increased risk for sleep-disordered breathing.

PURPOSE: Tumors in the carotid bodies may interfere with their function as peripheral chemoreceptors. An altered control of ventilation may predispose to sleep-disordered breathing. This study aimed to assess whether patients with unilateral or bilateral carotid body tumors (uCBT or bCBT, respectively) or bilateral CBT resection (bCBR) display sleep-disordered breathing and to evaluate the global contribution of the peripheral chemoreceptor to the hypercapnic ventilatory response. METHODS: Eight uCBT, eight bCBT, and nine bCBR patients and matched controls underwent polysomnography. The peripheral chemoreflex drive was assessed using euoxic and hyperoxic CO2 rebreathing tests. Daytime sleepiness and fatigue were assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Index. RESULTS: All patient groups reported significant fatigue-related complaints, but no differences in excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) were found. The apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) did not differ significantly between patient groups and controls. Only in bCBT patients, a trend towards a higher AHI was observed, but this did not reach significance (p=0.06). No differences in the peripheral chemoreflex drive were found between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with (resection of) CBTs have more complaints of fatigue but are not at risk for EDS. The presence or resection of CBTs is neither associated with an altered peripheral chemoreflex drive nor with sleep-disordered breathing.

Disturbed subjective sleep characteristics in adult patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Decreased sleep duration and/or impaired sleep quality negatively influence glucoregulation. The aim of this study was to assess subjective sleep characteristics in patients with type 1 diabetes, to relate sleep characteristics to long-term glycaemic control and to assess possible risk factors for impaired sleep. METHODS: We studied 99 adult patients with type 1 diabetes (55 men, 44 women, duration of diabetes 26.9 ± 1.2 years) and 99 age-, sex- and BMI-matched non-diabetic controls. Subjective sleep characteristics were assessed by validated questionnaires, i.e. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the Berlin Questionnaire. Glucoregulation was assessed by HbA(1c) values. Clinical variables were obtained from medical charts. Depression was assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Peripheral polyneuropathy was assessed by neurological examination and quantitative sensory testing. RESULTS: Of the patients with type 1 diabetes, 35% had subjective poor sleep quality compared with 20% of the control participants (p = 0.021). A higher proportion of the patients with type 1 diabetes were at increased risk for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) (17.2% vs 5.1%, p = 0.012). There was no significant association between individual sleep characteristics and HbA(1c) values. On logistic regression analysis, the HADS depression score, presence of peripheral polyneuropathy, habitual snoring and other sleep disturbances (e.g. hypoglycaemia) were independently associated with poor sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Adult patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus have disturbed subjective sleep quality and a higher risk for OSA compared with control participants. Subjective sleep disturbances are part of the complex syndrome of long-standing type 1 diabetes.

Patients previously treated for nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas have disturbed sleep characteristics, circadian movement rhythm, and subjective sleep quality.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Fatigue and excessive sleepiness have been reported after treatment of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas (NFMA). Because these complaints may be caused by disturbed nocturnal sleep, we evaluated objective sleep characteristics in patients treated for NFMA. DESIGN: We conducted a controlled cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied 17 patients (8 women; mean age, 54 yr) in remission of NFMA during long-term follow-up (8 yr; range, 1-18 yr) after surgery (n = 17) and additional radiotherapy (n = 5) without comorbidity except for hypopituitarism and 17 controls matched for age, gender, and body mass index. Sleep was assessed by nocturnal polysomnography, sleep and diurnal movement patterns by actigraphy, and quality of life and subjective sleep characteristics by questionnaires. RESULTS: Compared to controls, patients had reduced sleep efficiency, less rapid eye movement sleep, more N1 sleep, and more awakenings in the absence of excessive apnea or periodic limb movements. Actigraphy revealed a longer sleep duration and profound disturbances in diurnal movement patterns, with more awakenings at night and less activity during the day. Patients scored higher on fatigue and reported impaired quality of life. CONCLUSION: Patients previously treated for NFMA suffer from decreased subjective sleep quality, disturbed distribution of sleep stages, and disturbed circadian movement rhythm. These observations indicate that altered sleep characteristics may be a factor contributing to impaired quality of life and increased fatigue in patients treated for NFMA.

Manipulation of skin temperature improves nocturnal sleep in narcolepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Besides excessive daytime sleepiness, disturbed nocturnal sleep is a major complaint of patients with narcolepsy. Previously, alterations in skin temperature regulation in narcoleptic patients have been shown to be related to increased sleepiness. This study tests the hypothesis that direct control of nocturnal skin temperature might be applied to improve the disturbed sleep of narcoleptic patients. METHODS: Participants were eight patients (five males) diagnosed as having narcolepsy with cataplexy according to the ICSD-2 criteria, mean (SD) age 28.6 (6.4) years, range 18-35 years. During two nights, sleep was recorded polysomnographically while proximal and distal skin temperature were manipulated using a comfortable thermosuit that induced skin temperature to cycle slowly with an amplitude of only 0.4 degrees C within the comfortable range normally observed during sleep. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effect of skin temperature manipulation on the probability of occurrence of different sleep stages and nocturnal wakefulness. RESULTS: Proximal skin warming significantly suppressed wakefulness and enhanced slow wave sleep (SWS). In contrast, distal skin warming enhanced wakefulness and stage 1 sleep at the cost of SWS and REM sleep. The optimal combination of proximal skin warming and distal skin cooling led to a 160% increase in SWS, a 50% increase in REM sleep and a 68% decrease in wakefulness, compared with the least beneficial combination of proximal skin cooling and distal skin warming. INTERPRETATION: Subtle skin temperature manipulations under controlled conditions significantly improved the typical nocturnal sleep problems in narcolepsy.

CSF hypocretin-1 levels are normal in multiple-system atrophy.

Sleep disturbances occur in 70% of the patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Disturbances of the hypothalamic hypocretin neurotransmission have been suggested as a possible cause. Since a systematic study of CSF hypocretin-1 levels in MSA has not yet been performed, we analysed CSF hypocretin-1 concentrations in 6 MSA-P and 6 MSA-C patients and 11 age-matched controls. We did not observe any differences from control values.

[Narcolepsy: a new perspective on diagnosis and treatment]. / Narcolepsie: diagnostiek en behandeling in nieuw perspectief.

The 5 classic symptoms of narcolepsy are excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations and disturbed nocturnal sleep. The presence of cataplexy is strongly associated with a deficiency of the neuropeptide hypocretin. This discovery has led to new diagnostic subclassifications: narcolepsy without cataplexy, which can be demonstrated by a multiple sleep latency test, and narcolepsy with cataplexy, which can be confirmed with a multiple sleep latency test or a cerebrospinal fluid deficiency of hypocretin I. Various treatment options are available, including psychostimulants and gamma hydroxybuterate.

[Subdural hygroma after falling down a staircase]. / Een subduraal hygroom na een val van de trap.

An 80-year-old man was admitted because of head trauma following a fall down a staircase. Initial CT-imaging of the brain showed only global atrophy, but repeated CT-imaging 4 days later revealed a subdural hygroma. Because of the discrepancy between the radiological deterioration and the unchanged neurological condition, we refrained from neurosurgical evacuation. Two months after the trauma, the subdural hygroma had been spontaneously resorbed, but neurological examination revealed severe residual neurological abnormalities. Subdural hygroma is a little known complication in the acute stage ofhead trauma, which is seen mainly in elderly patients. The pathophysiology is not well known. Differentiating subdural hygroma (cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation in the subdural space) from external hydrocephalus (excessive CSF accumulation in the subarachnoid space) is important in view of the therapeutic consequences. Because CT-imaging usually cannot differentiate between these 2 conditions, we recommend the use of MRI.

Does modafinil enhance activity of patients with myotonic dystrophy?: a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study.

We performed a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study in 13 patients with myotonic dystrophy to address the question whether modafinil, known to improve hypersomnolence in myotonic dystrophy, may improve levels of activity as well. We used the Epworth Sleepiness Scale as a measure of hypersomnolence and a structured interview of the patient and the partner or housemate as a measure of activity. We additionally used a restricted form of the RAND-36 to relate a possible improvement of activity to perceived general health. We confirmed earlier positive findings of modafinil regarding reduced somnolence (p=0.015), but no significant effects were seen regarding activity levels (p=0.2 for patients' self-reports and 0.5 for partners' reports).

EFNS guidelines on management of narcolepsy.

Management of narcolepsy with or without cataplexy relies on several classes of drugs, namely stimulants for excessive daytime sleepiness and irresistible episodes of sleep, antidepressants for cataplexy and hypnosedative drugs for disturbed nocturnal sleep. In addition, behavioral measures can be of notable value. Guidelines on the management of narcolepsy have already been published. However contemporary guidelines are necessary given the growing use of modafinil to treat excessive daytime sleepiness in Europe within the last 5-10 years, and the decreasing need for amphetamines and amphetamine-like stimulants; the extensive use of new antidepressants in the treatment of cataplexy, apart from consistent randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials; and the present re-emergence of gamma-hydroxybutyrate under the name sodium oxybate, as a treatment of all major symptoms of narcolepsy. A task force composed of the leading specialists of narcolepsy in Europe has been appointed. This task force conducted an extensive review of pharmacological and behavioral trials available in the literature. All trials were analyzed according to their class evidence. Recommendations concerning the treatment of each single symptom of narcolepsy as well as general recommendations were made. Modafinil is the first-line pharmacological treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness and irresistible episodes of sleep in association with behavioral measures. However, based on several large randomized controlled trials showing the activity of sodium oxybate, not only on cataplexy but also on excessive daytime sleepiness and irresistible episodes of sleep, there is a growing practice in the USA to use it for the later indications. Given the availability of modafinil and methylphenidate, and the forseen registration of sodium oxybate for narcolepsy (including excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, disturbed nocturnal sleep) in Europe, the place of other compounds will become fairly limited. Since its recent registration cataplexy sodium oxybate has now become the first-line treatment of cataplexy. Second-line treatments are antidepressants, either tricyclics or newer antidepressants, the later being increasingly used these past years despite few or no randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials. As for disturbed nocturnal sleep the best option is still hypnotics until sodium oxybate is registered for narcolepsy. The treatments used for narcolepsy, either pharmacological or behavioral, are diverse. However the quality of the published clinical evidences supporting them varies widely and studies comparing the efficacy of different substances are lacking. Several treatments are used on an empirical basis, specially antidepressants for cataplexy, due to the fact that these medications are already used widely in depressed patients, leaving little motivation from the manufacturers to investigate efficacy in relatively rare indications. Others, in particular the more recently developed substances, such as modafinil or sodium oxybate, are evaluated in large randomized placebo-controlled trials. Our objective was to reinforce the use of those drugs evaluated in randomized placebo-controlled trials and to reach a consensus, as much as possible, on the use of other available medications.