The British Journal of Psychiatry (1970) 117: 705-706. doi: 10.1192/bjp.117.541.705
© 1970 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GOODWIN, D. W.
Right arrow Articles by OTHMER, E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by GOODWIN, D. W.
Right arrow Articles by OTHMER, E.

Alcohol and Narcolepsy

DONALD W. GOODWIN M.D.1, FRANK FREEMON M.D.2, BENJAMIN M. IANZITO M.D.3, and EKKEHARD OTHMER M.D., Ph.D.4

1 Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 4940 Audubon Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, U.S.A.
2 Special Fellow in Psychiatry
3 Assistant Resident in Psychiatry
4 Assistant Professor of Experimental Psychiatry

A moderate amount of alcohol produced a coma-like state in a 24-year-old man with narcolepsy. This response differed from a typical narcoleptic sleep attack. The patient could not be fully awakened for a several hour period and electrophysiological data obtained during the episode were uncharacteristic of narcolepsy, showing slow-wave sleep and absence of rapid eye movements. It is unknown whether this represents a common response of narcoleptics to alcohol.

Submitted on March 23, 1970