Study objectives: The goal of the current study was to explore the effect of a 2-month quarantine on children and adolescents with narcolepsy and to describe the changes in their sleep, mood, and metabolism during this period.
Methods: The study involved 77 patients aged 7 to 23 years with a diagnosis of narcolepsy. Participants had to answer multiple-choice questions to characterize the changes and modifications in their own habits and state of health.
Results: Participants reported changes in daytime sleep, nighttime sleep schedules, treatment intake, food intake, weight, and amount of screen time. Most patients reported deterioration in their memory and attention abilities as well as a decrease in their work efficiency. Mood appeared to be less affected, although it deteriorated in less than one-third of the participants who reported feeling sad more often.
Conclusions: The prolonged and complete lockdown seemed to have an effect on children and adolescents with narcolepsy, and changes are often considered by the participants to depend on or to determine an overall quality of adaptation to the situation. This study highlights the importance of maintaining and strengthening time markers in individuals with narcolepsy and should help to establish guidelines that would apply in future quarantine situations.
Citation: de Laclause AP, Konofal E, Bokov P, Delclaux C, Lecendreux M. Adjustment to lockdown in children and adolescents with narcolepsy in France. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(9):2247-2252.
Keywords: adaptation; child; lockdown; narcolepsy; sleep; time markers.
© 2022 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.