6th Edition of Neurology World Conference 2026

Abstract

Background and Aims: The major depressive disorder (MDD) clinical features are depressive humor, anhedonia, sleep disorders and impaired functionality, however, psychotic symptoms are not uncommon. Those symptoms affect in a significative way the prognostic of the disease and also corroborates with the mortality rates. Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder associated with depressive symptoms.

Methods: research into psychiatric patient medical records were used as a methodology.  M.A. 40 y/o, female, tobacco user, presents MDD with psychotic features such as auditory and visual hallucination and suicidal ideation. Episodes are refractory to the psychotherapy treatment -  SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, atypical antipsychotics, typical antipsychotics, and benzodiazepines. Presenting as atypical symptoms: insomnia, sleep disturbance, decreased REM latency, and respiratory disorders during sleep analysis. Case report information was associated with the data found on SciELO and UpToDate database.

Results: as a find, it was identified Signs of narcolepsy (without cataplexy) during the sleep analysis and it was started a treatment with Modafinil 100mg/day, later increased to 200mg/day associated with Desvenlafaxine, Zolpidem, and Diazepam treatment doses. Also, sleep hygiene and tobacco use cessation were encouraged during the treatment. All those methods associated showed a significant response to the disorders.

Conclusion: sleep pattern evaluation is highly recommended to avoid inaccurate diagnoses when treating mental disorder cases.