NARCOLEPSY (GÉLINEAU'S SYNDROME) AND OTHER VARIETIES OF MORBID SOMNOLENCE

Abstract

CONTENTSClassification of the Reported Cases of Morbid SomnolenceReported Cases of Gélineau's SyndromePrevious Compilations of CasesAuthor's List of Typical Cases Found in the LiteratureObservations in Gélineau's SyndromeIncidence as Regards Age at Onset and SexSymptomsAssociation with Other DiseasesEtiologyCourseTreatmentAtypical CasesReports of Five Personally Observed Cases of Gélineau's SyndromeReports of Three Cases of Morbid Somnolence Without CataplexySummaryMorbid somnolence may be defined as the untimely occurrence of periods of more or less natural sleep. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to a special variety of morbid somnolence, a variety characterized by the presence of two, usually independent, symptoms: (1) attacks of sleep and (2) weakness of the muscular apparatus, usually of the legs, coming on suddenly while the patient is in the midst of an emotional display, usually laughter. (The second symptom was named "cataplexy" by Henneberg,