The clinical criteria for a diagnosis of narcolepsy include excessive daytime sleepiness, uncontrollable sleep, observed cataplexy, and the exclusion of other causes of excessive daytime sleepiness.
The occurrence of hallucinations or sleep paralysis suggests narcolepsy, but they are not exclusive to the condition.
As part of a medical examination directed at symptoms of narcolepsy, the doctor will review the entire sleep history. A patient is often asked to keep a two-week sleep diary as well.
Although the symptoms of narcolepsy seem distinct to the disorder, other conditions must be ruled out (differential diagnosis). For example, symptoms like excessive daytime sleepiness could point to serious physiological diseases and disorders, ranging from brain tumors to heart disease to anemia.
Also, mood disorders, including various types of depression, share symptoms with narcolepsy. For example, the complaints of tiredness and disrupted sleep are often the product of depression or stress.
Testing
Two tests that can be performed are:
- overnight polysomnography
- multiple sleep latency test (MSLT)
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