A Case Report of Narcolepsy with Partial Cataplexy Misdiagnosed as Epilepsy

Cataplexy is present in 70% of narcolepsy patients; narcolepsy with cataplexy is now named as narcolepsy type 1 in recent classification of sleep disorders. Cataplexy is defined as short lasting decrease or loss of muscle tone. Here we present a 9-year-old girl misdiagnosed as epilepsy due to distortion in her face but diagnosed to have narcolepsy type 1 and partial cataplexy. In detail questioning, loss of muscle tone in her facial muscles and facial distortion occurred for a short time upon tiredness and in association with daytime sleepiness without any unconsciousness. No response was observed with antiepileptic agents, but they totally resolved upon administration of anticataplectic therapy. (JTSM 2015;1:22-4)