Without sleepiness, narcolepsy is not a proper diagnosis.
There are some other associated symptoms, and some of these can help to differentiate the sub-types.
This weakness may be provoked by strong emotions.
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These emotions are usually positive; for example, cataplexy may be associated with laughter.
The weakness may involve the face, arms, or legs.
Some narcoleptics will have droopy eyelids, mouth opening, tongue protrusion, or head bobbing.
Some people can collapse to the ground during an attack of cataplexy.
Both types of narcolepsy may also include sleep paralysis andhypnagogic hallucinations.
Fragmented sleep at night often occurs in both conditions as well.
Excessive daytime sleepiness is determined based on the results of amultiple sleep latency test (MSLT).
This test follows a standard sleep study and includes four or five nap opportunities that occur at 2-hour intervals.
Golden EC, Lipford MC.Narcolepsy: diagnosis and management.Cleve Clin J Med.
Darien, IL: American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
