Episodic hypersomnia, compulsive excessive eating and erotic behaviour, with schizophrenic-like mental symptoms are the hallmarks of the rare Kleine-Levin syndrome. This paper traces the origins of its description back to the 18th century and the changing concepts of its complex organic-psychogenic aetiology. The eventual, spontaneous disappearance of the syndrome is unexplained.

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is a rare disease characterized by recurrent episodes of hypersomnia, compulsive hyperphagia and behavioral disorders. KLS affect predominantly male adolescents. We report an unusual presentation of KLS at an early age refractory to a variety of therapeutics and finally controlled with lithium.

Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) is an episodic hypersomnia with cognitive disturbances such as confusion, apathy, and derealization. Hyperphagia and hypersexuality occur in around 50% of cases. No evidence-based treatments have been established for KLS. Many drugs have been tried, most often with little success. Here, a case with a striking response to lithium is presented.

OBJECTIVES The present study sought to evaluate the effect of a change from a rotating 3-shift (8-hour) to a 2-shift shift (12 hour) schedule on sleep, sleepiness, performance, perceived health, and well-being. METHODS Thirty-two shift workers at a chemical plant (control room operators) responded to a questionnaire a few months before a change was made in their shift schedule and 10 months a...

Hypersomnia is a significant problem in about 5% of the general population. We discussed clinical aspects in 3 patients with hypersomnia diagnosed in our sleep laboratory. All of the patients, both obese and non-obese, presented abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and plasma insulin level. (1) A 17-year-old girl (BMI = 20.3) with a two-year history of daytime sleep attacks (e.g. on the ...

OBJECTIVE To characterize the clinical, psychological, and sleep pattern of idiopathic hypersomnia with and without long sleep time, and provide normative values for 24-hour polysomnography. SETTING University Hospital. DESIGN Controlled, prospective cohort. PARTICIPANTS 75 consecutive patients (aged 34 +/- 12 y) with idiopathic hypersomnia and 30 healthy matched controls. INTERVENTION ...