Development and Preliminary Evaluation of the Wilder-Addison Narcolepsy Function Scale for Occupational Performance

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder affecting occupational functioning; however, occupational therapy is rarely found in the interdisciplinary care of narcolepsy and occupation-based assessments specific to narcolepsy are limited. This study examined the preliminary performance of the Wilder-Addison Narcolepsy Function Scale (WANFS), a performance measure designed to detect functional disruption associated with narcolepsy symptoms. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Participants with Narcolepsy Type 1 (n = 63), Narcolepsy Type 2 (n = 58), and control participants without narcolepsy (n = 51) completed the WANFS. Descriptive statistics, internal consistency reliability, and known-groups validity analyses were conducted. The WANFS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .96). Participants with narcolepsy reported significantly higher functional disruption across domains compared with controls (p < .001). Findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the WANFS as an occupation-based assessment of narcolepsy-related functional disruption and highlight the relevance of occupational therapy perspectives in sleep disorder care.