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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Quantifying Infra-slow Dynamics of Spectral Power and Heart Rate in Sleeping Mice
Published on: August 2, 2017
Periodic leg movements during sleep and cerebral hemodynamic changes detected by NIRS
Fabio Pizza1, Martin Biallas, Martin Wolf
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zürich, Switzerland.
Objective:
Periodic leg movements during sleep (PLMS) have been shown to be associated with changes in autonomic and hemispheric activities. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) assesses hemodynamic changes linked to hemispheric/cortical activity. We applied NIRS to test whether cerebral hemodynamic alterations accompany PLMS.
Methods:
Three PLMS patients underwent nocturnal polysomnography coupled with cerebral NIRS. EEG correlates of PLMS were scored and NIRS data were analysed for the identification of correspondent hemodynamic changes.
Results:
PLMS were constantly associated with cerebral hemodynamic fluctuations that showed greater amplitude when associated to changes in EEG and were present also in absence of any visually detectable arousal or A phase in the EEG.
Conclusion:
This is the first study documenting cerebral hemodynamic changes linked to PLMS.
Significance:
The clinical relevance of these observations remains to be determined.
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