Deciphering Narcolepsy: Analyzing Signs and Symptoms for Early Diagnosis

Faculty

Anne Marie Morse, DO, FAASM
Associate Professor
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Director, Child Neurology and Pediatric Sleep Medicine, Geisinger Medical Center
Janet Weis Children’s Hospital
Danville, PA
Anne Marie Morse, DO, FAASM

Dr. Anne Marie Morse is the Director of Child Neurology and Pediatric Sleep Medicine at Geisinger, Janet Weis Children’s Hospital. She has significant clinical and research experience and interest in children, adolescents, and adults with sleep wake disorders, particularly central disorders of hypersomnolence. In addition, her research interests extend more broadly to include investigating the relationship between sleep and neurologic and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr Morse’s commitment to sleep health extends into the community. She has developed a school-based sleep education and surveillance program called Wake Up and Learn.  This program was developed to provide education about sleep health and perform school-based sleep screening to improve recognition of pediatric sleep disorders in middle and high school students. It has now expanded to include learners in college, medical school, and medical residency programs with a clinical and health plan delivery, called Sleep to Be Well. Dr. Morse envisions a world where sleep can be acknowledged as the vital sign of health, wellness, and performance that it is designed to be.

Lindsay McCullough, MD, FACP, D.ABIM, D.ABSM
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Associate Program Director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
Lindsay McCullough, MD, FACP, D.ABIM, D.ABSM

Lindsay McCullough is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Sleep Medicine physician at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. McCullough joined RUSH in 2018 as a Sleep Medicine fellow. After completing her fellowship in 2019, she was recruited to join as faculty in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Section of Sleep Medicine. Before moving to Chicago, she earned her medical degree and completed her residency training at the University of Florida.

Dr. McCullough is the Associate Program Director for the Sleep Medicine Fellowship and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. As a clinician educator and a person living with narcolepsy type 2, she is passionate about promoting healthy sleep and lifestyle habits to fellows, residents, and students, as well as other medical professionals, her patients, and to the general public. She also advocates for social support in addition to medical treatments for patients with sleep disorders. She works closely with the Rush Sleep Surgery team as a part of an innovative collaborative care model to improve the quality of care for patients with hypoglossal nerve stimulation therapy.

Statement of Need

Narcolepsy is a chronic sleep disorder that affects approximately one in 2,000 individuals. The patient’s diagnostic journey is often long and complex, and narcolepsy frequently remains undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed as other conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, insomnia, or obstructive sleep apnea. Specific manifestations of the core symptoms of narcolepsy vary widely among individuals, and most patients experience symptoms for many years before receiving a diagnosis. Given the heterogeneous presentation of narcolepsy and frequent comorbidity with other conditions, clinicians face challenges diagnosing and classifying narcolepsy.

During this podcast, sleep experts will discuss the differential diagnosis of narcolepsy, including underrecognized clinical presentations and diagnostic strategies for real-world use. The conversation will also include a breakdown of the classification of narcolepsy type 1 and type 2.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, learners will be able to better:

  • Identify signs and symptoms of suspected narcolepsy to support early and accurate diagnosis and subtype classification

Financial Support

Supported by an educational grant from Avadel CNS Pharmaceuticals, LLC.

Target Audience

Sleep specialists, pulmonologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, primary care practitioners (PCPs), physician associates (PAs), nurse practitioners (NPs), nurses, and pharmacists

Credit Information

Jointly Accredited Provider

In support of improving patient care, CME Outfitters, LLC, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Interprofessional (IPCE) 0.75

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive 0.75 Interprofessional Continuing Education Credit for learning and change.

Physicians (ACCME) 0.75

CME Outfitters, LLC, designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 0.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses (ANCC) 0.75

This activity is designated for 0.75 contact hours.

California Residents: This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing. CME Outfitters LLC’s provider number is CEP15510.

Pharmacists (ACPE) 0.75

This application-based activity is approved for 0.75 contact hours ( 0.075 CEUs) of continuing pharmacy credit (JA0007185-0000-24-015-H01-P).

PAs (AAPA) 0.75

CME Outfitters, LLC, has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 0.75 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. Approval is valid until 02/26/25. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

ABIM MOC 0.75

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 0.75 medical knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine’s (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. Participants will earn MOC points equivalent to the amount of CME credits claimed for the activity. It is the CME activity provider’s responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit.

MIPS Improvement Activity

Completion of this accredited CME activity meets the expectations of an Accredited Safety or Quality Improvement Program (IA_PSPA_28) for the Merit-based Incentive Payment Program (MIPS). Clinicians should submit their improvement activities by attestation via the CMS Quality Payment Program website.

Royal College MOC

Through an agreement between the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, medical practitioners participating in the Royal College MOC Program may record completion of accredited activities registered under the ACCME’s “CME in Support of MOC” program in Section 3 of the Royal College’s MOC Program.

Disclosure Declaration

Dr. Morse reports the following financial relationships:

Advisory Board: Alkermes; Avadel; Harmony Biosciences; Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.

Grants: Coverys Community Healthcare Foundation; Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and ResMed Foundation

Research Support: Geisinger Health Plan; Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and UCB, Inc.

Speakers Bureau: Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Employment: DAMM Good Sleep, LLC (CEO)

Dr. McCullough reports no financial relationships to disclose.

The following individuals have no financial relationships to disclose: 

Rebecca Vargas-Jackson, MD (Peer Reviewer)
Shirley Michelle Franks, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC (Peer Reviewer)
Thomas Mitchell (Planning Committee)
Erin Spencer, PharmD (Planning Committee)
Susan H. Yarbrough, CHCP (Planning Committee)
Sandra Caballero, PharmD (Planning Committee)
Sharon Tordoff (Planning Committee)

Obtaining Credit

Post-tests, credit request forms, and activity evaluations must be completed online (requires free account activation), and participants can print their certificate or statement of credit immediately (70% pass rate required). This website supports all browsers except Internet Explorer for Mac.

Questions about this activity?

Call us at 877.CME.PROS (877.263.7767).

PD-104-022624-76

Deciphering Narcolepsy: Analyzing Signs and Symptoms for Early Diagnosis
Event Date: 02/26/2024 at 5:00 am EST