Cardiovascular Variability, Heart Rate Response, and Electromyogram Power Associated With Periodic Leg Movements.

Periodic leg movements during sleep is associated with microarousals and a stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The knowledge of this autonomic activation may help understanding the increase of cardiac risk observed in elderly. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between periodic leg movements severity, age, gender, electromyographic power and heart rate response associated with periodic leg movements. Drug-free patients diagnosed with periodic leg movements were included. Clinical data and 24-h polysomnography recordings were analyzed.