Functional status in patients with narcolepsy

• Published in: Sleep medicine 2004-09, Vol.5 (5), p.477-483
• Main Authors: Teixeira, Virna G., Faccenda, Jacqueline F., Douglas, Neil J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living - psychology; Adult; Aged; Cataplexy - diagnosis; Cataplexy - psychology; Cataplexy - therapy; Central Nervous System Stimulants - therapeutic use; Continuous Positive Airway Pressure - psychology; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence - diagnosis; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence - psychology; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence - therapy; Epworth sleepiness scale; Female; Functional outcomes of sleep questionnaire; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Narcolepsy; Narcolepsy - diagnosis; Narcolepsy - psychology; Narcolepsy - therapy; Quality of life; Scotland; Short form 36; Sleep apnea; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnosis; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - psychology; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - therapy; Social Adjustment; Social Environment; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1389-9457; 1878-5506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2004.07.001

Objective: To describe health and functional status in treated narcolepsy patients and to compare it with normative data and with patients with another cause of sleepiness, the obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients. Methods: A functional status survey in narcolepsy patients and in symptomatic untreated and CPAP treated OSAHS patients with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >5 was assessed using the UK Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire, the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). SF-36 scores in narcoleptics were compared to age and sex matched controls. Narcolepsy patients also replied to a psychosocial aspects questionnaire. Health history and demographic data were obtained via a review of medical records and postal survey. Results: Forty-nine treated narcolepsy patients, 56 untreated OSAHS and 48 CPAP treated OSAHS patients attending the sleep disorders clinic were recruited for this study. Narcoleptics presented significantly lower scores in all SF-36 domains compared to normative data. No difference in SF-36 scores was found between narcoleptics and untreated OSAHS patients but narcoleptics were sleepier and had lower FOSQ scores. These treated narcolepsy patients had lower scores in two dimensions of the SF-36 and in all FOSQ domains compared to CPAP-treated OSAHS patients. Conclusions: Functional status in treated narcoleptics is poor.