While suddenly and unexpectedly falling asleep during normal waking hours, Sarah experiences vivid hallucinations of being in a horrible car crash.The experience is so realistic that she actually feels physical sensations as if the hallucination was real.What is Sarah's most likely diagnosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sarah's symptoms are most consistent with narcolepsy, which is characterized by sudden and uncontrollable episodes of sleep, often accompanied by vivid hallucinations and paralysis of voluntary muscles. This can cause individuals to experience hallucinations that feel extremely realistic and blurs the line between dreams and reality. Hypersomnia and sleep apnea typically do not involve vivid hallucinations or paralysis. A psychotic disorder may involve hallucinations, but they would not be confined to specific periods of sleepiness, and Sarah's symptoms do not indicate a break from reality or other typical features of a psychotic disorder.

While Suddenly and Unexpectedly Falling Asleep During Normal Waking Hours