1. A sudden, temporary loss of muscle tone or control triggered by strong emotions such as laughter, surprise, or anger, often associated with narcolepsy.
Usage: medical term; commonly occurs in patients with narcolepsy type 1

Examples

• The patient experienced cataplexy whenever she laughed, causing her to collapse briefly.
• Cataplexy is a hallmark symptom of narcolepsy with cataplexy.
• During the episode of cataplexy, his legs gave out but he remained conscious.
• Strong emotional reactions can trigger cataplexy in susceptible individuals.
• The neurologist explained that cataplexy involves a sudden loss of voluntary muscle control.