Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: In narcolepsy with cataplexy, sodium oxybate and the recently FDA-approved drug pitolisant are preferred medications. Armodafinil, a longer-acting, non-amphetamine stimulant, is often used in patients who have narcolepsy without cataplexy. It enhances alertness by increasing presynaptic dopamine transmission presynaptically, amplifying serotonin in the cerebral cortex, activating glutamatergic circuits, which may contribute to its vigilance-enhancing properties, and stimulating orexin activity. Armodafinil alone is approved for excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) symptoms. We report this case of narcolepsy with cataplexy, where armodafinil alone improved the symptoms of not only EDS but also cataplexy. It is known that sodium oxybate, through its gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA-B) receptor agonist activity, helps in cataplexy and EDS. However, in some instances, like this patient, armodafinil alone improves the symptoms of cataplexy and maintains wakefulness.
Source: Cureus
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.76437
Authors: Arshia Ahmed, Sara Tariq, Salman J Khan, Zia H Shah
Institutions: University of Massachusetts Amherst, Lourdes Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4405810491