(cat-ar-plex-ee) Sudden loss of muscle power, with collapse on to the ground, but no loss of consciousness A feature of narcolepsy that occurs particularly during moments of excitement or anticipation
A debilitating medical condition in which a person suddenly feels weak and collapses at moments of strong emotion such as laughter, anger, fear or surprise In so collapsing, people with cataplexy may injure themselves
sudden, dramatic decrement in muscle tone and loss of deep reflexes that leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, or postural collapse Usually caused by outburst of emotion: laughter, startle, or sudden physical exercise; one of the tetrad of symptoms of narcolepsy