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Depressive feelings in children with narcolepsy
Clara Odilia Inocente1, Marie-Paule Gustin2, Sophie Lavault3
1Integrative Physiology of Brain Arousal System, CRNL, INSERM-U1028, University Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
Sleep Medicine
|February 8, 2014
Summary
Depressive feelings, particularly fatigue, affect 25% of children with narcolepsy, with older girls being more vulnerable. This highlights a need for targeted diagnosis and management of depression in pediatric narcolepsy patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Sleep Medicine
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder affecting sleep-wake regulation.
- Depressive symptoms are frequently observed in children and adolescents with narcolepsy, but their specific characteristics and correlations require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of depressive feelings in children and adolescents diagnosed with narcolepsy.
- To identify correlations between depressive symptoms and clinical/sleep features in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 88 children and adolescents with narcolepsy was assessed.
- Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI).
- Clinical and sleep characteristics were compared between patients with and without depressive symptoms.
Main Results:
- 25% of children with narcolepsy exhibited clinically significant depressive feelings (CDI > 16).
- Depressive feelings were associated with fatigue, hyperactivity, insomnia, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS).
- In multivariate analysis, only fatigue significantly explained the variability in depression scores.
Conclusions:
- Fatigue is a primary manifestation of depressive symptoms in 25% of children with narcolepsy.
- Girls older than 10 years are particularly susceptible to depressive symptoms.
- The similar prevalence of depressive feelings in treated and untreated patients underscores the need for proactive diagnosis and management in pediatric narcolepsy.
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