Medical software PLMS

clinicalsleep laboratoryphysical activity telemonitoring

Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS) as well as being a sleep disorder in its own right is also a manifestation of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and can be a symptom either of Parkinson’s disease and other disorders of the central nervous system or can even be the result of drug administration. Using our specialized software and MotionWatch devices mounted across the toes of the subject, it is possible to detect the occurrence of PLMS and measure its severity. Overnight recordings can be made to screen for PLMS for up to 6 consecutive nights at a 1 second resolution. The key advantage is that the subjects can wear the devices in their own homes without the need for admission to a sleep clinic. The frequency and duration of kicks can be automatically classified as bouts of PLMS and the analysis conforms to the ICSD-2 or ICSD-3 specifications. The activity for each leg is displayed graphically and information is provided about the PLMS amplitude, duration and periodicity for individual legs as well as for both legs combined. The analysis is based upon scientific research and validation of actigraphy for PLMS. The intuitive graphical user interface allows rapid analysis of specific periods of interest with the option to manually exclude unwanted movements or bouts. The PLMS Analysis functions with standard MotionWatch 8 devices which offers excellent flexibility in terms of equipment ownership costs. It should be noted that Actigraphy for PLMS is not intended as a replacement for EMG in a sleep lab, but is a valuable tool in gaining insights into the need for the clinical investigation of PLMS.