Narcolepsy Severity Scale (NSS)
Narcolepsy Severity Scale (NSS)
This scale is a 15-item, self-administered questionnaire that evaluates the severity, frequency, and impact of the 5 main narcolepsy symptoms in adult patients: excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep paralysis, and disrupted nighttime sleep.1
The aim of the NSS is to quantify and monitor symptom severity in patients with a confirmed diagnosis of narcolepsy type 1.1
Questions concerning symptom frequency and intensity are rated from 0 to 5 while questions on the impact on daily life are rated from 0 to 3, with each item being added together for a total score. Higher total scores indicate more severe symptoms.1
While the NSS is focused on assessing symptoms in narcolepsy type 1, a secondary version, the NSS-2, was created to evaluate the symptoms of narcolepsy type 2.2
References
- Dauvilliers Y, Barateau L, Lopez R, et al. Narcolepsy Severity Scale: a reliable tool assessing symptom severity and consequences. Sleep. 2020;43(6):zsaa009. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsaa009
- Barateau L, Chenini S, Denis C, et al. Narcolepsy Severity Scale-2 and Idiopathic Hypersomnia Severity Scale to better quantify symptoms severity and consequences in narcolepsy type 2. Sleep. 2024;47(5):zsad323. doi:10.1093/sleep/zsad323
