NARCOLEPSY AND CATAPLEXY

Epidemiology [3] Prevalence is estimated as 25 per 100,000 in Caucasian populations. [4] Age of onset is typically around adolescence. A smaller number of cases presents at around 35 years. Less than 5% of narcolepsy with cataplexy occurs in children. One study found that it was often linked to complex movement disorders. [5] It is possible that incidence statistics would increase if diagnostic features were recognised at an earlier age. [6] There is a male predominance. First-degree relatives are at increased risk of narcolepsy compared with the general population.