Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Childhood narcolepsy with partial facial cataplexy: a diagnostic dilemma
Karlien Dhondt1, Helene Verhelst, Dirk Pevernagie
1Department of Child Neurology, Pediatric Sleep Centre, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. karlien.dhondt@ugent.be
Abstract:
Sixteen percent of adults ultimately diagnosed with having narcolepsy/cataplexy experienced symptoms before the age of ten years, 4.5% even before the age of five years. The symptomatology in childhood narcolepsy/cataplexy can differ significantly from adults and can lead to misinterpretations and misdiagnosis. Standard diagnostic tools (polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test) can give false negative results and do not exclude the disorder. The decision to determine hypocretins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) should be made as early as possible in children. Here, we present a case of a five-year-old girl with acute onset of narcolepsy/cataplexy after a closed head trauma. The first symptoms were excessive daytime sleepiness, partial facial cataplexy and a serious behavioral disorder. Hypocretin-1 level (Hrt-1) in CSF was undetectable.
Related Concept Videos
Narcolepsy
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Epilepsy ll: Types
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...
Prosopagnosia
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types: