Periodic limb movements

Periodic limb movements are stereotyped and repeated jerks that occur mainly in the legs and involve flexion of the foot and ankle (although sometimes the hip is also affected).

These movements appear in the course of sleep, although they can also be observed during nocturnal wakefulness and usually appear in subjects with other primary sleep disorders (e.g. restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea or narcolepsy), with some medical diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency, polyneuropathy, etc.) or if they take some drugs (e.g. antihistamines, neuroleptics, antiemetics, etc.).