In the article, “Sleep Polygraphic Study of Children and Adolescents With Narcolepsy/ Cataplexy”, Raffaele Ferri et al., are scientists that conducted a research study on nocturnal sleep in patients with narcolepsy. The researchers claim that neurophysiologic study of sleep in children and adolescents with narcolepsy confirms that the sleep microstructure and leg movement activity found in adulthood is already present and detectable in childhood.

Ferri et al., develops this claim by first gathering fifteen patients from the age of ten to thirteen. They conducted the research by putting the patients in a drug-free environment for up to three weeks performing polysomnographic recording.

Lastly, the author does sleep stage scorings where they record the detection and analysis of leg movements, sleep architecture, and cycling alternating patterns. The Neurology specialists purpose was to see if the narcoleptic symptoms found in adults were also detectable in children with narcolepsy.

This work is significant because the article states that no matter the age you have narcolepsy some of the symptoms are the same and detectable so you can get treatment early in age. Some people have narcolepsy for years without knowing it and their case gets worse from lack of early treatment.

Work Cited :
Giuseppe Plazzi, et al. "Sleep Polygraphic Study Of Children And Adolescents With Narcolepsy/Cataplexy." Developmental Neuropsychology 34.5 (2009): 523-538. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Oct. 2012.