Periodic limb movements (PLMs) occur frequently among persons with epilepsy (PWE) but do not occur more often than among those with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a study published in Epilepsy Research.
Manav Jain, from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues examined the prevalence and specific features of PLMs in PWE and explored how these movements correlate with objective sleep measurements in a retrospective chart review of consecutive adults diagnosed with epilepsy who underwent polysomnography over a 10-year span.
A total of 152 relevant patients were identified; of these, 61 with epilepsy met the inclusion criteria and were matched to 61 patients suspected for OSA. The researchers found that 43 patients in the epilepsy cohort experienced focal-onset epilepsy and 16 had generalized epilepsy.
Overall, 25 and 12 patients were prescribed two or more antiseizure medications and were classified as medically refractory, respectively. PLMs were detected in 23% and 26% of patients with epilepsy and controls, respectively, with mean PLM index values of 6.1 ± 16.8 and 8.8 ± 20.7, respectively.
The PLM arousal index was similar between the groups, and other sleep parameters did not exhibit significant differences between the groups. The only factor linked to PLM in the epilepsy cohort was older age, with no associations seen for seizure type, number of antiseizure medications, or seizure control.
“The results emphasize the need to consider overlapping sleep disorders in the evaluation of sleep disturbances among epilepsy patients,” the authors write.
More information:
Manav Jain et al, Periodic limb movements among persons with epilepsy: A retrospective polysomnographic study, Epilepsy Research (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2025.107662
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