Executive attention and working memory in narcoleptic outpatients
Mirleny Moraes1, Sueli Rossini, Rubens Reimão
1Sleep Medicine Advanced Research Group, Division of Clinical Neurology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|February 11, 2012
Summary
Narcoleptic patients exhibit significant excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and impaired executive attention and working memory compared to controls. This highlights cognitive deficits in narcolepsy.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting sleep-wake regulation.
- Cognitive impairments, particularly in executive functions, are increasingly recognized in narcolepsy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess executive attention and working memory in Brazilian narcoleptic outpatients.
- To compare cognitive performance between narcoleptic patients and a healthy control group.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 19 narcoleptic outpatients and 19 healthy controls participated.
- Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS-BR), Victoria Stroop Test (VST), Trail Making Test (TMT), and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS).
Main Results:
- Narcoleptic patients reported significantly higher Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS) and demonstrated poorer working memory performance.
- Patients with narcolepsy showed slower performance on the VST (parts 1 and 2) and TMT (parts A, B, and B-A), indicating deficits in executive attention.
Conclusions:
- Narcoleptic patients present with elevated EDS, compromised executive attention (specifically temporal processing), and reduced working memory capacity compared to controls.
- These findings underscore the significant cognitive burden associated with narcolepsy.
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