Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Rhythmic feet movements while falling asleep.

A Wichniak1, F Tracik, P Geisler

  • 1Sleep Disorders Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Germany. awichniak@poctza.onet.pl

Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society
|December 19, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Lung function measurements in the Greenlandic Inuit population: results from the Greenlandic health survey 2017-2019.

European clinical respiratory journal·2024
Same author

[Delirium in idiopathic Parkinson's disease].

Der Nervenarzt·2020
Same author

Are questionnaires reliable in diagnosing sleep-disordered breathing in university students?

The Journal of laryngology and otology·2017
Same author

[Nonpharmacological treatment procedures for Parkinson's disease].

Der Nervenarzt·2017
Same author

Increased severity of sleep-disordered breathing is associated with insomnia and excessive somnolence in primary school children.

Sleep medicine·2016
Same author

[Practical Use of the Levodopa Pump].

Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2016
Same journal

Gene Therapy for Amino Acid Decarboxylase Deficiency: Clinical and Imaging Outcomes in a French Cohort.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
Same journal

Alzheimer's Disease Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers Predict Survival in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
Same journal

Hyperhomocysteinemia and Vitamin B Deficiency as Potential Aggravating Factors in Huntington's Disease: A Prospective Monocentric Study.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
Same journal

Longitudinal Dynamics of Polyglutamine-Expanded ATXN3 in Biofluids of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
Same journal

Putamen Structural-Functional Decoupling as an Early-Stage Candidate Imaging Marker for Motor Severity in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
Same journal

Melanopsin-Mediated Post-Illumination Pupillary Response in Idiopathic Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep Behavior Disorder and Parkinson's Disease.

Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society·2026
See all related articles

Rhythmic feet movements while falling asleep (RFM) are common, affecting 7.5% of subjects. These typically brief, non-disruptive movements are often quasiphysiological, though severe forms may indicate abnormality.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Movement Disorders

Background:

  • Diverse motor phenomena occur during sleep transitions.
  • Hypnagogic foot tremor is a known example in the lower extremities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of rhythmic feet movements while falling asleep (RFM).
  • To determine the clinical relevance and potential abnormality of RFM.

Main Methods:

  • Polysomnographic examination of 375 consecutive subjects at a sleep disorders center.
  • Analysis of rhythmic foot movements and surface electromyographic (EMG) recordings.
  • Assessment of movement duration, periodicity, and sleep-disrupting effects.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • RFM were identified in 7.5% of subjects, typically as short, intermittent series.
  • Movements showed high night-to-night variability and occurred during wakefulness and early sleep stages.
  • EMG revealed repetitive phasic bursts with specific periodicity and duration.
  • RFM generally lacked a significant sleep-disturbing effect.

Conclusions:

  • Short series of RFM are common and may be considered a quasiphysiological phenomenon.
  • Severe forms of RFM with sleep disturbance warrant consideration as abnormal.
  • Understanding RFM is important for diagnosing sleep-related movement disorders.