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Objective: To assess the frequency of periodic leg movements (PLM) in idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) and to analyze their polysomnographic characteristics and associated autonomic and cortical activation.

Background: PLM during sleep (PLMS) and wakefulness (PLMW) are typical features of restless legs syndrome (RLS), but are also frequently observed in patients with RBD.

Methods: Forty patients with idiopathic RBD underwent one night of polysomnographic recording to assess PLMS frequency. PLM features, PLMS-related cardiac activation during stage 2 sleep, and EEG changes were analyzed in 15 of these patients with RBD. Results were compared with similar data obtained in 15 sex- and age-matched patients with primary RLS.

Results: Twenty-eight (70%) of 40 patients with RBD showed a PLMS index greater than 10. No between-group differences were found in …