Diagnostic ambiguities in a case of post-traumatic narcolepsy with cataplexy

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Bruck, Dorothy and Broughton, Roger (2004) Diagnostic ambiguities in a case of post-traumatic narcolepsy with cataplexy. Brain Injury, 18 (3). pp. 321-326. ISSN 0269-9052

Abstract

Narcolepsy arising from trauma can present particular problems of differential diagnosis. In this case study presentation the patient suffered a head trauma, without unconsciousness, and began to experience unusual episodic behaviours. Symptom presentation differed from the typical clinical manifestations of idiopathic narcolepsy leading to an 8-year search for a definitive diagnosis. Key relevant aspects that led to diagnostic ambiguities were the order of symptom development, negative for the antigen HLA DR2, significance of the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) mean sleep latency versus number of sleep onset rapid eye movement periods, the somewhat atypical features of cataplexy, the coexistence of sleep apnoea, and the mildness of the original head injury. It is argued that cases of post-traumatic narcolepsy should be considered in the context of their clinical development over time and that practitioners should be aware that this form of narcolepsy can differ from the typical clinical history of idiopathic narcolepsy.

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Item type Article
URI https://vuir.vu.edu.au/id/eprint/1836
DOI 10.1080/02699050310001617433
Official URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699050310001617433
Subjects Historical > RFCD Classification > 380000 Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences
Historical > Faculty/School/Research Centre/Department > School of Social Sciences and Psychology
Keywords neurological rehabilitation, neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, stroke
Citations in Scopus 12 - View on Scopus
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