Parkinson's disease and periodic limb movement in sleep / Doença de Parkinson e movimentos periódicos dos membros durante o sono

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease understood as a complex syndrome with motor and non-motor symptoms, including sleep-related conditions, such as periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS). This paper presents issues regarding Parkinson's disease, motor and non-motor symptoms, sleep physiology, and PLMS. In conclusion, both conditions seem to be correlated through impairment of the dopaminergic system.

A doença de Parkinson é uma doença neurodegenerativa entendida como uma síndrome complexa com sintomas motores e não motores, incluindo condições relacionadas ao sono, como movimentos periódicos dos membros durante o sono (MPMS). Este artigo apresenta questões relacionadas à doença de Parkinson, sintomas motores e não motores, fisiologia do sono e MPMS. Em conclusão, ambas as condições parecem estar correlacionadas por comprometimento do sistema dopaminérgico.

Cardiac Activation Associated with Non-Periodic Leg Movements in Comparison to Periodic Leg Movements during Sleep in Patients with Restless Legs Syndrome and Healthy Subjects

OBJECTIVES: Periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS) are associated with arousals and autonomic activation, which may contribute to higher cardiovascular disease risk in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). Non-periodic leg movements in sleep (NPLM) are leg jerks in sleep that does not satisfy standard criteria of PLMS. The aim of this study was to evaluate impact of short-interval leg movements in sleep (SILMS) and isolated leg movements in sleep (ILMS) in comparison to PLMS on heart rate in both patients with RLS and healthy controls. METHODS: Seven idiopathic RLS patients and 9 controls were enrolled in this study. Polysomnographic studies were analyzed and leg movements (LM) were automatically detected. NPLM can be classified as SILMS and ILMS. SILMS are LM separated by an inter-movement interval (IMI) shorter than 10 s, and ILMS are LM with IMI longer than 90 s. Frequency and heart rate associated with SILMS, ILMS, and PLMS in RLS patients were compared to those in controls. Heart rate change associated with LM were determined for a fixed time window. RESULTS: Frequencies of SILMS and ILMS of patients with RLS were not significantly different to those of controls. RLS patients presented higher heart rate change associated with SILMS than PLMS before movement onset, while heart rate change associated with SILMS, ILMS, and PLMS were not different in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: Although the number of SILMS is not higher than PLMS, SILMS may have closely associated with higher cardiac activation of RLS than PLMS. Therefore, SILMS might be an important treatment target for patients with RLS to reduce long-term cardiovascular risk. Long-term prospective studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between NPLM and cardiovascular disease in patients with RLS.

Sleep Problems and Daytime Sleepiness in Children with Nocturnal Enuresis

PURPOSE: Nocturnal enuresis (NE) is one of the most common problems in childhood. NE has a multifactorial etiology and is influenced by sleep and arousal mechanisms. The aim of the present study was to prospectively evaluate sleep problems and patterns in children with NE compared with normal healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-eight children with NE and 16 healthy controls were included in the study. To evaluate sleep habits and disturbances, parents and children filled out a questionnaire that included items about sleep patterns and sleep-related behaviors prior to treatment for NE. Demographic factors and other data were compared for the two groups based on the responses to the sleep questionnaire. RESULTS: Night awakening, sleepwalking, and periodic limb movements were more prevalent in children with NE, but symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing were not increased in this group. There were statistically significant differences in periodic limb movements and daytime sleepiness between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Children with NE seemed to have more sleep problems such as night awakening, sleepwalking, and periodic limb movements. In addition, a higher level of daytime sleepiness and hyperactivity in patients with NE suggested a relationship between NE and sleep disorders.

Spontaneous Low-Frequency Cerebral Hemodynamics Oscillations in Restless Legs Syndrome with Periodic Limb Movements During Sleep: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Periodic limb movements (PLM) during sleep (PLMS) are associated with cortical and cardiovascular activation. Changes in cerebral hemodynamics caused by cortical activity can be measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We investigated oscillatory components of cerebral hemodynamics during PLM and different sleep stages in restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients with PLMS. METHODS: Four female RLS patients with PLMS, and four age- and sex-matched normal controls were included. PLM and sleep stages were scored using polysomnography, while the spontaneous cerebral hemodynamics was measured by NIRS. The phase and amplitude of the cerebral oxyhemoglobin concentration [HbO] and the deoxyhemoglobin concentration [Hb] low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) were evaluated during each sleep stage [waking, light sleep (LS; stages N1 and N2), slow-wave sleep (stage N3), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep]. In RLS patients with PLMS, the cerebral hemodynamics during LS was divided into LS with and without PLM. RESULTS: The cerebral hemodynamics activity varied among the different sleep stages. There were changes in phase differences between [HbO] and [Hb] LFOs during the different sleep stages in the normal controls but not in the RLS patients with PLMS. The [HbO] and [Hb] LFO amplitudes were higher in the patient group than in controls during both LS with PLM and REM sleep. CONCLUSIONS: The present study has demonstrated the presence of cerebral hemodynamics disturbances in RLS patients with PLMS, which may contribute to an increased risk of cerebrovascular events.

Bilateral Periodic Limb Movement Disorder Developed after Anterior Cerebral Artery Infarction

Previous reports on the lesions causing stroke-related periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS) have involved subcortical structures such as the basal ganglia/corona radiata or pons. We report a case of an 81-year-old female patient who presented with bilateral, right-side-predominant PLMS that developed after a left cortical infarction. The right-side PLMS may be attributable to the loss of cortical inhibition following a pyramidal tract lesion, while the left-side PLMS may be caused by activation of the contralateral motor cortex due to dysfunction of interhemispheric inhibition.

Two Patients of REM Sleep Behavior Disorders with Narcolepsy or Periodic Limb Movement Disorder

Rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep behavior (RBD) is a form of REM sleep motor dyscontrol characterized by complex, vigorous, and frequently violent behaviors without atonia during the REM sleep. The motor dyscontrol may include not only cataplexy and sleep paralysis but alto periodic limb movements during REM and non-REM sleep. We examined two patients with charateristic episodes of behavioral manifestations during the REM sleep as well as with other sleep disorders such as narcolepsy and periodic limb movement disorder. The one patina was an 18 year-old man who had childhood-onset RBD associated with narcolepsy since 10 years old. The polysomnographic studies showed excessive augmentation of chin EMG and 6 attacks of violent behavior during REM sleep. He also complained of cataplexic symptomes. Multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT) showed four sleep onset REMs and two episodes of violent behavior during the REM sleep. The other patient was a 74 year-old man who complained of violent behaviors during the REM sleep and polysomnographic studies showed excessive augmentation of chin EMG during the REM sleep and periodic leg movements for 24min. And 14sec. During the sleep. We report two patients with RBD which were associated with narcolepsy, and periodic limb movememt disorder irrespectively, suggesting that RBD, narcolepsy and periodic limb movement disorder could occur coincidently and be understood as a motor dyscontrol during REM sleep.