NOCTURNAL SLEEP STUDY IN MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - CORRELATIONS WITH CLINICAL AND BRAIN MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FINDINGS

It has been suggested that sleep disturbances in multiple sclerosis (M S) may be related to periodic leg movements (PLM) during sleep, but to date polysomnographic studies were conducted only on small and unsele cted patient groups. Aim of this study was to evaluate 8-hour polysomn ography in MS patients and to correlate sleep results with clinical an d brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Twenty-five clinically definite MS patients, without mood disorders and drug-free, entered th e study. The patients were compared to 25 age-and sex-matched subjects . MS patients had significantly reduced sleep efficiency and experienc ed more awakenings during sleep. No difference was found in sleep arch itecture parameters between MS patients and controls. PLM was found in 9 patients (36%) and 2 controls (8%; p = 0.02). Of the six patients w ho complained of insomnia two had PLM and 2 others presented with PLM and central sleep apnea. In patients with PLM greater MRI lesion loads were detected in the infratentorial regions, particularly in cerebell um and brainstem. Larger studies in neurological diseases that produce focal lesions in these brain areas could provide useful information o n the PLM pathogenesis.