cataplexy, a sudden brief impairment of muscle tone, such as a limpness of the arms or legs, that is often precipitated by an emotional response such as laughter or startle and is sometimes so dramatic as to cause the person to fall down. Cataplexy occurs in about 70 percent of people affected by narcolepsy. People who experience cataplexy remain fully conscious during an episode and regain the ability to speak and move afterward.