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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice

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Published on: August 2, 2017

Sleep-related psychosis.

Lukas Frase¹, Barbara Sixt, Christoph Nissen

¹Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.

BMJ Case Reports

|July 11, 2013

Summary

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is often misdiagnosed. Early diagnosis and lithium treatment can lead to symptom remission and improved quality of life for KLS patients.

Area of Science:

Neurology
Sleep Medicine
Psychiatry

Background:

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia and cognitive/behavioral disturbances.
Misdiagnosis of KLS is common, often leading to inappropriate treatments and significant patient suffering.

Observation:

A 19-year-old male student presented with hypersomnia, hypersexuality, cognitive impairment, and bizarre behavior during a KLS episode.
He was initially misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, receiving antipsychotic treatment for four years, which caused weight gain and hypertension.
Discontinuation of antipsychotics led to normalization of weight and blood pressure.

Findings:

Prophylactic treatment with lithium was initiated for the patient with Kleine-Levin syndrome.

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Lithium treatment resulted in complete symptom remission, rendering the patient asymptomatic.

The patient was subsequently able to commence vocational training.

Implications:

This case highlights the critical importance of accurate diagnosis in Kleine-Levin syndrome to avoid detrimental misdiagnoses and ineffective treatments.
Lithium appears to be an effective prophylactic treatment for KLS, enabling patients to achieve remission and resume normal life activities.
Early and correct diagnosis coupled with appropriate management, such as lithium therapy, can significantly improve outcomes for individuals with KLS.