Rich is a senior in high school. Although he has maintained good grades, he struggles each day to stay awake. Several of his teachers found that he frequently nods off during class for short periods of time. The family physician could find no obvious cause for this sleepiness; however, he does recommend an evaluation at a sleep clinic. Which of the following disorders might the physician suspect is the root cause of Rich's problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described suggest narcolepsy, a sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and sudden bouts of sleep, often accompanied by vivid hallucinations and brief periods of paralysis called cataplexy. The evaluation at a sleep clinic can confirm this diagnosis by monitoring Rich's brain activity and other physiological measures during sleep. Enuresis is bedwetting, Tay-Sachs disease is a rare and fatal genetic disorder that affects the nervous system, and sleep terror disorder involves episodes of intense fear and panic during deep sleep, which are not consistent with Rich's symptoms.

Rich Is a Senior in High School