To split or to lump? Classifying the central disorders of hypersomnolence. Issue 8 (20th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fronczek, Rolf; Arnulf, Isabelle; Baumann, Christian R; Maski, Kiran; Pizza, Fabio; Trotti, Lynn Marie
• Is Part Of: Sleep. Volume 43:Issue 8(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-03-20
• Subjects: narcolepsy -- idiopathic hypersomnia -- hypersomnolence -- classification; Sleep -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Sleep disorders -- Periodicals; Sommeil -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Sommeil, Troubles du -- Périodiques; Sleep disorders; Sleep -- Physiological aspects; Sleep -- physiological aspects; Sleep Wake Disorders; Psychophysiology; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.8498
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsaa044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-8105

Abstract

Abstract: The classification of the central disorders of hypersomnolence has undergone multiple iterations in an attempt to capture biologically meaningful disease entities in the absence of known pathophysiology. Accumulating data suggests that further refinements may be necessary. At the 7th International Symposium on Narcolepsy, a group of clinician-scientists evaluated data in support of keeping or changing classifications, and as a result suggest several changes. First, idiopathic hypersomnia with long sleep durations appears to be an identifiable and meaningful disease subtype. Second, idiopathic hypersomnia without long sleep time and narcolepsy without cataplexy share substantial phenotypic overlap and cannot reliably be distinguished with current testing, and so combining them into a single disease entity seems warranted at present. Moving forward, it is critical to phenotype patients across a wide variety of clinical and biological features, to aid in future refinements of disease classification.