A polysomnographic study on periodic limb movements in patients with restless legs syndrome and neuroleptic-induced akathisia.
Eighteen patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and 4 patients with neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) underwent all-night polysomnographic recordings before and during clonazepam treatment. Ten normal control subjects and 4 non-akathitic psychiatric patients treated with neuroleptics underwent polysomnographic recordings, which were compared with those of the RLS and NIA patients, respectively. Daily treatment with 0.5 to 3 mg clonazepam improved subjective complaints of 17 out of 18 patients with RLS and all the 4 patients with NIA. All the 18 patients with RLS exhibited periodic limb movements (PLM) on the polysomnograms before treatment, but only 2 of 10 control subjects exhibited PLM. Three of the 4 patients with NIA exhibited PLM, but none of the 4 controls on neuroleptics showed PLM. Clonazepam decreased the total number of PLM per hour in patients of both RLS and NIA.
Inami
Y
Y
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan.
Horiguchi
J
J
Nishimatsu
O
O
Sasaki
A
A
Sukegawa
T
T
Katagiri
H
H
Yamawaki
S
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017109:Akathisia, Drug-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002998:Clonazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement; D010507:Periodicity; D017286:Polysomnography; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D002998:Clonazepam