Periodic limb movements among persons with epilepsy: A retrospective polysomnographic study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Sleep Medicine
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Epilepsy (PWE) often involves sleep disturbances impacting quality of life and seizure management.
• While insomnia and sleep apnea are studied in PWE, periodic limb movements (PLMs) are less explored.
• PLMs are crucial for diagnosing periodic limb movement disorder and are common in restless legs syndrome.

Purpose of the Study:

• Determine the prevalence and characteristics of PLMs in PWE.
• Investigate correlations between PLMs and objective sleep measurements in PWE.
• Compare PLM prevalence in PWE with a control group.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of adult epilepsy patients undergoing polysomnography over ten years.
• Matched control group of individuals evaluated for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
• Extracted sleep parameters including PLM index and apnea-hypopnea index; analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• PLMs detected in 23% of PWE vs. 26% in controls; no significant difference in PLM indices (PLMI, PLMAI) between groups.
• No association found between PLMs and epilepsy type, antiseizure medication count, or seizure control.
• Older age was the only factor correlated with PLMs within the epilepsy cohort.

Conclusions:

• PLMs are frequently observed in PWE, primarily associated with advancing age.
• Similar PLM indices in PWE and OSA controls suggest OSA as a potential major contributor.
• Further research into OSA's role in PLMs among PWE is warranted.