Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Cataplexy treated with escitalopram--clinical experience
Karel Sonka1, David Kemlink, Martin Pretl
1Department of Neurology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University of Prague, Czech Republic. ksonka@lf1.cuni.cz
Background:
Narcolepsy with cataplexy is a debilitating sleep disease of which some symptoms can be treated with antidepressants. The antidepressant escitalopram is considered the most specific serotonin reuptake inhibitor.
Patients And Methods:
Ten patients (5 men and 5 women, age range 18-77 years) suffering from narcolepsy with cataplexy occurring at least weekly were treated with escitalopram 5 or 10 mg a day for 28-98 days. These patients were barred from taking any drugs influencing cataplexy and also had no other diseases affecting sleep or vigilance.
Results:
The mean number of cataplexies per week in 8 compliant patients declined significantly from 6.7 (+/-SD=7.2) to 0.3 (+/-0.6), P=0.02 (Sign test). Cataplexy completely disappeared in 6 patients. Subjective daytime sleepiness, power of concentration, quality of night sleep and mood remained unchanged. During the treatment, two patients had ejaculation disturbances. Two patients withdrew from the therapy (one because of ejaculation disturbance, the other for unknown reason).
Conclusion:
Escitalopram proved to have anticataplectic effects in this small-scale open-label study.
Related Concept Videos
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Antiepileptic Drugs: Glutamate Antagonists
Antiepileptic Drugs: Modulators of Neurotransmitter Release Mediated by SV2A Protein
SV2A is a transmembrane glycoprotein located predominantly in the brain, modulating the release of neurotransmitters for neuronal communication. Both levetiracetam and brivaracetam exhibit a high affinity for...