Problems in the differential diagnosis of narcolepsy versus schizophrenia.

The authors discuss the problems of accurately diagnosing narcolepsy when patients manifest the auxiliary symptoms of this disorder, i.e., cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis, which conclude that misdiagnosis of narcolepsy can be avoided if clinicians are aware that this illness can simulate a psychiatric disorder and if they give careful attention to the histroy of the patient's illness.