Journal of Clinical Pediatrics ›› 2025, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (6): 475-482.doi: 10.12372/jcp.2025.24e1345

• Literature Review • Previous Articles    

Pharmacologic and upcoming treatment of pediatric narcolepsy

ZHANG Yixin, HONG Siqi()   

  1. Department of Neurology Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Neurodevelopment and Cognitive Disorders, Chongqing400014, China
  • Received:2024-12-12 Accepted:2025-03-07 Published:2025-06-15 Online:2025-06-01

Abstract:

Narcolepsy is a rare neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, disturbed night sleep, sleep paralysis and sleep hallucinations. It typically onsets during childhood or adolescence. The treatment is focused on ameliorating clinical symptoms, encompassing drug therapy to alleviate symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy. Despite the fact that orexin replacement therapy and orexin receptor agonists are in the research stage, the majority of drugs for narcolepsy used in children are off-label. Hence, more clinical studies are requisite to validate their safety and efficacy in children.

Key words: child, narcolepsy, pharmacologic treatment

CLC Number: 

  • R72