Diagnosis Of Narcolepsy Mnemonic

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Here is a quick mnemonic “NARCO TEST“ to remember about Diagnosis Of Narcolepsy

This can be valuable for patients as well as medical doctors, nurses & students doing their clinical rounds. You can also find it very useful for med exams like USMLE, MBBS, NEET PG, FMGE, NExT, MCAT & NCLEX exams

Diagnosis Of Narcolepsy : How To Remember Easily ?

  • N – Narcolepsy: The most common symptom of narcolepsy is chronic sleepiness.
  • A – Adequate sleep: Patients should obtain a fully adequate amount of sleep prior to the test.
  • R – REM sleep dysregulation: The MSLT provides objective evidence of sleepiness plus REM sleep dysregulation.
  • C – Cataplexy: True cataplexy involves functional weakness triggered by emotions like laughing or intense anger.
  • O – Other disorders: Many disorders can cause feelings of weakness, but true cataplexy is specific to narcolepsy.
  • T – Two naps: Most narcolepsy patients will fall asleep in <8 min on average and have REM sleep in at least two of the naps.
  • E – Emotional triggers: Cataplexy in narcolepsy patients has consistent emotional triggers.
  • S – Specific symptoms: Occasional hypnagogic hallucinations and sleep paralysis are not specific to narcolepsy.
  • T – Test sequence: Polysomnogram followed by an MSLT is used to establish the diagnosis.

Mnemonic : NARCO TEST

Dr. Arin Nandi

Passionate About Medical Science & Helping Future Doctors Achieve Top Ranks In Medical Exams. He is professionally a dentist as well as a public health expert from JIPMER working in govt.health department
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