Treatment of periodic limb movements’ disorder

Abstract

Introduction. Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD) are repetitive limb movements that occur predominantly within the first several hours of sleep. PLMD occur in a large variety of sleep disorders and they are common even in the absence of complaints of insomnia Fig.(1). Material and methods. The data was selected from the electronic libraries PubMed, Hinari, and Google Scholar. Purpose. This study aims to investigate sleep movement disorders an to compare pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment. Results. The etiology of Periodic Limb Movement Disorder as well as the precise role of melatonin in human physiology remains poorly understood. However, the studies has shown a chronobiotic effect of melatonin in PLMD. Benzodiazepines - and specifically clonazepam - are the most investigated for utilization in the treatment of Restless Leg Sindrome (RLS) and PLMD. Clonazepam significantly improve sleep quality and PLMD during time in bed. The nonpharmacologic suggestions list include: eliminating medications , especially dopamine-blocking agents, antiemetics and antihistamines, avoiding antidepressants and acupuncture. Also, maintaining a healthy weight and diet, getting moderate exercise. Conclusions. Dopaminergic agonists are one of the most effective therapeutic methods currently used in the management of periodic limb movement disorders .There are also studies that shows an positive effect on PLMD. Further studies are needed to establish the long-term effectiveness of these treatment options.