Recent Findings from Akita University Provides New Insights into Narcolepsy (Prevalence, Incidence, and Medications of Narcolepsy In Japan: a Descriptive Observational Study Using a Health Insurance Claims Database): Nervous System Diseases and Conditions – Narcolepsy

2022 SEP 22 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Nervous System Diseases and Conditions - Narcolepsy. According to news reporting out of Akita, Japan, by NewsRx editors, research stated, “The objectives of this study were to describe prevalence, incidence, and medications among patients who were diagnosed with narcolepsy in Japan using a claims database. Patients diagnosed with narcolepsy were identified from January 2010 to December 2019 using an employment-based health insurance claims database compiled by JMDC Inc.”

Financial support for this research came from Eisai Co Ltd.

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from Akita University, “The prevalence and incidence of narcolepsy were estimated annually in the overall population and by age and sex among employees and their dependents aged < 75 years. Medications, examined for each quarter in the overall population, were modafinil, methylphenidate, pemoline, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. We identified 1539 patients with narcolepsy. The overall annual prevalence increased from 5.7 to 18.5/100,000 persons in 2010 and 2019, respectively. Large increases were found from 2010 to 2019 in patients aged 20-29 years and 10-19 years, with the highest prevalence in 2019 (9.7-37.5/100,000 persons and 5.0-27.1/100,000 persons). The overall incidence slightly increased from 3.6 to 4.3/100,000 person-year from 2010 to 2019, and the highest incidence was found in patients aged 20-29 years and 10-19 years (5.8-11.3/100,000 person-year, and 3.8-7.4/100,000 person-year from 2010 to 2019, respectively). Methylphenidate and modafinil were commonly prescribed in 2010 (27.3-38.9% and 17.5-45.5%, respectively). Methylphenidate prescriptions declined during the 10 years, whereas modafinil prescriptions increased (15.6-17.1% and 43.8-45.8% in 2019, respectively).”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “The estimated prevalence and incidence of narcolepsy appeared to increase from 2010 to 2019, especially in teenagers and 20-year olds.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Prevalence, Incidence, and Medications of Narcolepsy In Japan: a Descriptive Observational Study Using a Health Insurance Claims Database. Sleep and Biological Rhythms, 2022. Sleep and Biological Rhythms can be contacted at: Springer Japan Kk, Shiroyama Trust Tower 5F, 4-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105-6005, Japan. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Sleep and Biological Rhythms - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1479-8425)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Aya Imanishi, Akita University, Dept. of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Akita, Japan. Additional authors for this research include Yuta Kamada, Kai Shibata, Yukinori Sakata, Hiroaki Munakata and Mika Ishii.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41105-022-00406-4. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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