Moebius Syndrome, Narcolepsy and Parasomnias: Report on Two Patients. Moebius Syndrom, Narkolepsie und Parasomnien: zwei Fallberichte

Abstract

The Moebius syndrome is a rare neurological disorder frequently associated with sleep disorders. Two patients with Moebius syndrome in combination with symptoms of narcolepsy and parasomnias are presented. The clinical diagnosis of the comorbid disorders was confirmed by neither polysomnography nor multiple sleep latency test because the wake EEG was altered, and eye movements could hardly be identified due to the paralysis of the eye muscle. Hypocretin was not assessed because lumbar puncture was not performed. Despite these methodological limitations and some deviations from the definitions of sleep disorders, clinical findings in both patients support previous findings of an association between Moebius syndrome and sleep disorders. For an optimal treatment of patients with Moebius syndrome, it is necessary to elucidate carefully the full spectrum of sleep disorders, especially narcolepsy and parasomnias.