The symptoms and sleep characteristics among patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy (NC) may differ according to the age at diagnosis.

Complications including obesity, night eating, parasomnia, sleep talking, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more common in children, while sleep paralysis, obstructive sleep apnea, and reduced quality of life are more common in adults, according to study results published in CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics.

Study researchers sought to assess the clinical symptoms and sleep measures in de novo patients diagnosed with NC before and after 18 years of age. The cohort for this retrospective study included 46 children (median age, 12 years; 61% boys) and 46 adults (median age, 28.5 years; 61% men). All study participants completed a standardized questionnaire and interview, as well as a sleep study.

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