Cataplexy is a:

Cataplexy is a:

• A. Sudden jolt or spasm when transitioning from wake to stage 1
• B. The loss of muscle tone in REM
• C. The loss of muscle tone that accompanies a strong emotion
• D. A waxing or waning in respiratory flow and rate

Answer: (C)

Cataplexy is an abrupt, transient loss of muscle tone that occurs when a person experiences a strong emotion, and it happens while they are awake. The person remains conscious, and breathing is usually normal, but there can be weakness in the limbs, jaw, or knees, and the individual may temporarily collapse. This is most closely tied to narcolepsy. This differs from REM sleep atonia, which is the normal paralysis that occurs during REM sleep and when dreams are happening; cataplexy occurs during wakefulness and is emotionally triggered. It also isn’t a sudden jolt at sleep onset (like a hypnic jerk) or a breathing-pattern problem such as waxing and waning respiratory flow seen in some sleep-disordered breathing.

Cataplexy is an abrupt, transient loss of muscle tone that occurs when a person experiences a strong emotion, and it happens while they are awake. The person remains conscious, and breathing is usually normal, but there can be weakness in the limbs, jaw, or knees, and the individual may temporarily collapse. This is most closely tied to narcolepsy.

This differs from REM sleep atonia, which is the normal paralysis that occurs during REM sleep and when dreams are happening; cataplexy occurs during wakefulness and is emotionally triggered. It also isn’t a sudden jolt at sleep onset (like a hypnic jerk) or a breathing-pattern problem such as waxing and waning respiratory flow seen in some sleep-disordered breathing.