Periodic limb movements during sleep and restless legs syndrome in patients with ASIA A spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE To establish the occurrence of Periodic Leg Movements (PLM) and Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) subjects. METHODS In this study, twenty four patients were submitted to a full night polysomnography and were assessed with Epworth Sleepiness Scale and an adapted form of International Restless Legs Syndrome Scale Rating Scale (IRLS Rating Scale). Control Group (CG) was composed of 16 subjects, 50% of each sex, age: 24.38±4 years old. Spinal Cord Injury Group (SCIG) was composed of 8 subjects (29±5 years old) with a complete SCI (ASIA A) of about three and a half years of duration, 100% males. RESULTS 100% of SCIG had RLS compared to 17% in CG (p<0.0001). SCIG had 18.11±20.07 of PLM index while CG had 5.96±11.93 (p=0.01). Arousals related to PLM were recorded in CG and SCIG. There was a positive moderate correlation between RLS and age (r=0.5; p=0.01), RLS and PLM (r=0.49; p=0.01), adapted IRLS Rating Scale and PLM index (r=0.64; p=0.03) and also a negative moderate correlation between Epworth Sleepiness Scale and PLM index (r=-0.4; p=0.04) in both groups. CONCLUSION RLS and PLM are common findings in SCI patients with a complete injury.