SleepApr 24, 2015

Comparing Tests Measuring Treatment Effects on Sleepiness and Attention in Narcolepsy

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 29, 2026

Abstract

The Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) demonstrated high performance in distinguishing treatment responders in patients with narcolepsy, with a correlation of r = 0.61.

The SART, Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) all showed good reliability.
The ability to distinguish between responders and nonresponders was high for the SART and ESS, with correlational values of r = 0.61 and r = 0.54, respectively.
The SART is identified as a valid and easy-to-administer measure for assessing treatment effects in narcolepsy.
Combining the SART with the ESS may enhance the assessment of treatment efficacy.

Simplified

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To validate the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) as a treatment effect measure in narcolepsy, and to compare the SART with the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

DESIGN: Validation of treatment effect measurements within a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

PATIENTS: Ninety-five patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy.

INTERVENTIONS: The RCT comprised a double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter trial comparing the effects of 8-w treatments with pitolisant (BF2.649), modafinil, or placebo (NCT01067222). MWT, ESS, and SART were administered at baseline and after an 8-w treatment period. The severity of excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy was also assessed using the Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI-C).

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The SART, MWT, and ESS all had good reliability, obtained for the SART and MWT using two to three sessions in 1 day. The ability to distinguish responders from nonresponders, classified using the CGI-C score, was high for all measures, with a high performance for the SART (r = 0.61) and the ESS (r = 0.54).

CONCLUSIONS: The Sustained Attention to Response Task is a valid and easy-to-administer measure to assess treatment effects in narcolepsy, enhanced by combining it with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

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Comparing Tests Measuring Treatment Effects on Sleepiness and Attention in Narcolepsy

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