Abstract
We report on four patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC), who were treated with high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). Although in some patients transient effects were seen of both objective (multiple sleep latency test and maintenance of wakefulness test) and subjective symptoms (Epworth Sleepiness Scale and frequency of cataplexy), these effects lasted at the most for a few weeks and did not persist. Our report challenges the recent observations of a favorable and persistent effect of IVIg in NC patients.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bassetti CL (2005) Narcolepsy: selective hypocretin (orexin) neuronal loss and multiple signaling deficiencies. Neurology 65:1152–1153
Crocker A, España RA, Papadopoulou M, Saper CB, Faraco J, Sakurai T, Honda M, Mignot E, Scammell TE (2005) Concomitant loss of dynorphin, NARP, and orexin in narcolepsy. Neurology 65:1184–1188
Dauvilliers Y, Carlander B, Rivier F, Touchon J, Tafti M (2004) Successful management of cataplexy with intravenous immunoglobulins at narcolepsy onset. Ann Neurol 56:905–908
Dauvilliers Y (2006) Follow-up of four narcolepsy patients treated with intravenous immunoglobulins. Ann Neurol 60:153
Fronczek R, Verschuuren J, Lammers GJ (2007) Response to intravenous immunoglobulins and placebo in a patient with narcolepsy with cataplexy. J Neurol 254:1607–1608
Hecht M, Lin L, Kushida CA, Umetsu DT, Taheri S, Einen M, Mignot E (2003) Report of a case of immunosuppression with prednisone in an 8-year-old boy with an acute onset of hypocretindeficiency narcolepsy. Sleep 26:809–810
Hublin C, Partinen M, Kaprio J, Koskenvuo M, Guilleminault C (1994) Epidemiology of narcolepsy. Sleep 17:S7–S12
Lecendreux M, Maret S, Bassetti C, Mouren M-C, Tafti M (2003) Clinical efficacy of high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins near the onset of narcolepsy in a 10-year-old boy. J Sleep Res 12:347–348
Salzer U, Grimbacher B (2006) Common variable immunodeficiency: The power of co-stimulation. Semin Immunol 18:337–346
Sturzenegger C, Bassetti CL (2004) The clinical spectrum of narcolepsy with cataplexy: a reappraisal. J Sleep Res 13:395–406
The U.S. Xyrem Multicenter Study Group (2002) A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial comparing the effects of three doses of orally administered sodium oxybate with placebo for the treatment of narcolepsy. Sleep 25:42–49
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Valko, P.O., Khatami, R., Baumann, C.R. et al. No persistent effect of intravenous immunoglobulins in patients with narcolepsy with cataplexy. J Neurol 255, 1900–1903 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-008-0996-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-008-0996-2