Kleine-Levin syndrome

Definition

Kleine-Levin syndrome is characterised by recurrent episodes of severe sleepiness in association with cognitive, psychiatric, and behavioural disturbances. A typical episode lasts a median of 10 days (range 2.5–80 days), with rare episodes lasting several weeks to months. During episodes, patients may sleep as long as 16 to 20 hours per day, waking or getting up only to eat and void. When awake during episodes, most patients are exhausted, apathetic, confused, and slow in speaking and answering. Hyperphagia, hypersexuality, childish behaviour, depression, anxiety, hallucinations and delusions are often observed during the episodes. Patients are normal between episodes with regard to sleep, cognition, mood, and eating. Rarely, Kleine Levin syndrome may occur exclusively during menstrual periods.

Inclusions

• recurrent hypersomnolence

Index Terms