Periodic Limb Movements during Sleep: Review of Physiology and Pathology

Abstract

Periodicl imbm ovementsd urings leep�( PLMS)�a res pontaneouslyo ccurringm ovementso ft hel egsw hich� occurr epetitivelyt hroughoutt hes leepingp eriod.�Th ec linicals ignificanceo ft hesem ovementsi su nclear� butw hent heyo ccurf requently,�s leepf ragmentationc anr esult.�P LMSo ccurc ommonlyi np ersonsw itht he� restlessl egss yndromea nda lsoi nt hee lderlye venw ithouts leepc omplaints.�P LMSa ren ots pecifica ndc an� occuri nt hes ettingo fs everald ifferentd iseases,�i ncludinge ssentialh ypertension,�s trokea nds leepa pnea.�I n� thisr eview,�w ec overb rieflyt hee pidemiologyo fP LMSa ndt heng om orei ntod epthc oncerningp hysiology� andt hena dversee ffectsa ssociatedw ithP LMS.� � J Korean Sleep Res Soc 2012;9:23-27