Learn about the flu shot, COVID-19 vaccine, and our masking policy »
New to MyHealth?
Manage Your Care From Anywhere.
Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
NEED MORE DETAILS?
MyHealth for Mobile
Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »
Abstract
Cataplexy, the hallmark of narcolepsy, has been well characterized in adults but not in children. This study systematically used structured clinical assessments and video-recordings (49 episodes in eight cases) to evaluate cataplexy in 23 patients diagnosed before the age of 18 years. Forty-three percent of patients had falls as part of their attacks. During cataplexy knees, head, and jaw were the most frequently compromised body segments; eyelids, arms, and trunk being less commonly involved. More rarely, blurred vision, slurred speech, irregular breathing, or a sudden loss of smiling mimics were reported. One-third of the sample presented with a previously unrecognized description of cataplexy that we coined "cataplectic facies," consisting of a state of semipermanent eyelid and jaw weakness, on which partial or complete cataplectic attacks were superimposed. The usual triggering emotions, such as laughter, joking, or anger, were not always present, especially when close to an abrupt onset, hampering diagnosis. Video-recordings of cataplectic attacks may be useful to document the attack, allowing a comparison with archived presentations.
View details for DOI 10.1002/mds.21965
View details for Web of Science ID 000255600200013
View details for PubMedID 18307264