Factors Associated with Depression and Sub-Dimension Symptoms in Adolescent Narcolepsy

We evaluate the association between depression symptoms, clinical features (disease onset-age, disease duration, sleep-related hallucination), sleepiness, and polysomnography parameters in adolescent narcolepsy type 1 patients.

Eighty-three adolescent narcolepsy type 1 patients were involved in this cross-sectional study. Patients completed questionnaires evaluating depression symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale). Parameters from polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test were also collected.

Patients with depression symptoms (62.7%) have later disease onset-age. Depression symptoms were associated with sleep-related hallucination (OR = 2.75). Six independent variables were associated with sub-dimensional depression symptoms, including sleep latency, sleep efficiency, sleep-related hallucination, Epworth sleepiness scale, disease duration, and disease onset-age.

Sleep-related hallucination is associated with total depression symptoms in adolescent narcolepsy. Subjective sleepiness is associated with depressed affect, somatic symptoms, and interpersonal problems. Lower sleep efficiency is associated with a lack of positive affect.