Type I narcolepsy in a pregnant female patient: a case report

Type I narcolepsy in a pregnant female patient: a case report

I.M. Madaeva, A.A. Pytkina, O.N. Berdina

Irina M. Madaeva, e-mail: nightchild@mail.ru

Scientific Centre for Family Health and Human Reproduction Problems, Irkutsk

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder classified into two main types: type I narcolepsy, which is characterized by cataplexy, and type II narcolepsy, which occurs without cataplexy. Diagnosis is commonly delayed; on average, 7–10 years may pass before the condition is correctly identified, substantially reducing patients’ quality of life. This case report describes a pregnant woman who had experienced symptoms of type I narcolepsy since the age of 14 and associated their onset with influenza vaccination. The clinical picture was dominated by excessive daytime sleepiness, recurrent episodes of cataplexy, motor and speech phenomena, and frightening, negatively toned dreams. The patient underwent overnight polysomnography followed by a multiple sleep latency test. Based on the findings, she was diagnosed with mild type I narcolepsy with cataplexy, REM sleep behavior disorder, and positional apnea/hypopnea.

Keywords: narcolepsy, type I narcolepsy, multiple sleep latency test, MSLT, case report, cataplexy.

For citation: Madaeva I.M., Pytkina A.A., Berdina O.N. Type I narcolepsy in a pregnant female patient: a case report. RMJ. 2026;6:27–30. DOI: 10.32364/2225-2282-2026-6-5