Idiopathic recurring stupor & narcolepsy automatisms

Several sleep related conditions may mimic and be misdiagnosed as seizures. 80 % of narcoleptics have automatic behavior during sleep. The individual appears awake but is without full awareness. Behavior may be inappropriate and resemble a fugue state.

Idiopathic recurring stupor was described in 1990. The stupors may occur a few times weekly to a few times annually, and last from hours to days. All cases show a widely distributed nonreactive 13-18 hz activity. Flumazeni, a benzodiazepine antagonist, quickly but temporariy reverses the stupor and eeg findings. The culprit is thought to be endogenous benzodiazepines called "enzopines" that act on the GABA A receptor for benzodiazepines. These ligands may alsobe important in learning, memory, hepatic encephalopathy, and panic attacks. CSF enxopine-4 levels are more than 100x higher than in control subjects.