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Life Effects of Narcolepsy in 180 Patients from North America, Asia and Europe Compared to Matched Controls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

Roger Broughton ,
Quais Ghanem ,
Yasuo Hishikawa ,
Yoshiro Sugita ,
Sonia Nevsimalova  and
Bedrich Roth
Roger Broughton*
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
Quais Ghanem
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
Yasuo Hishikawa
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
Yoshiro Sugita
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
Sonia Nevsimalova
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
Bedrich Roth
Affiliation:
Division of Neurology, University of Ottawa (Canada), Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Osaka (Japan), and Neurology Clinic, Charles University, Prague (Czechoslovakia)
*
Division of Neurology, Ottawa General Hospital, 501 Smyth Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1H 8L6
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A questionnaire survey has been made of the life effects of narcolepsy in 180 patients, 60 each from North American, Asian and European populations, with 180 similarly distributed age and sex matched controls. Life-effects were attributed by the patients to the primary symptoms of excessive daytime drowsiness, sleep attacks, cataplexy, vivid hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis, and also to other frequent symptoms such as visual problems (blurring, diplopia) and memory impairment. Occupational problems were prevalent (over 75%) and included statistically significant deleterious effects upon performance, promotion, earning capacity, fear of or actual job loss and increased disability insurance. Driving was greatly affected and patients fell asleep at the wheel more frequently (66%), had near or actual accidents from drowsiness or falling asleep at the wheel (67%), and could experience cataplexy (29%) or sleep paralysis (12%) while driving. Work or home accidents attributed to sleepiness or sleep (49%) or related to smoking (49%) were much more common in patients. There were also deleterious effects on education, recreation and personality related to the disease. Narcolepsy can produce a variety of life-effects probably more serious and pervasive than, for instance, those of epilepsy, therefore emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 8 , Issue 4 , November 1981 , pp. 299 - 304
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1981

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