The Clinical Evaluation of Sleep-Related Movement Disorders

Abstract

This article is a comprehensive review of the clinical evaluation of sleep-related movement disorders. In this review, the authors present a practical approach to help clinicians identify the "pattern recognition" of movement and behavior disorders during sleep, with the process of translating a particular movement that occurs when asleep, with clinically classifying disorders, and with obtaining an etiologic diagnosis. The aim is not to provide an exhaustive review of the literature, but to concentrate on the most important symptoms, so the clinical approach can be improved and the best choices can be made during the diagnostic process.

Keywords: Disorders of arousal; Nocturnal epilepsy; Parasomnias; REM sleep behavior disorder; Restless legs syndrome; Sleep; Sleep-related movement disorders.