EEG for tics and jerks: I know some of... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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EEG for tics and jerks

WideBody profile image
11 Replies

I know some of us get jerks and tics when falling asleep. I found this page.

epilepsy.com/learn/types-se...

Has anyone here gotten an EEG? I am seriously considering one.

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WideBody
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11 Replies
Joolsg profile image
Joolsg

I really don't think you have myoclonus seizures. The tics and jerks just before sleeping or trying to sleep are very common in RLS. They also happen if you force your body to be still when the RLS is playing up. I'm sure I've read a research article on it, explaining why the jerks happen in RLS and will post if I remember/find it.

Joolsg profile image
Joolsg

Found this on the NHS site and will look for others.nhs.uk/conditions/restless-...

WideBody profile image
WideBody in reply toJoolsg

This is an excellent website. I want to read it all, but life interrupts. (I became a Grandpa and I am moving another daughter to college) Even though it’s my post, I will save it for later. Thank you for finding these.

LotteM profile image
LotteM in reply toWideBody

Congrats grandpa!

Guitarpickin profile image
Guitarpickin in reply toWideBody

Yesss, congratulations on becoming a grandpa!! How fun!! As for your inquiry, when I was first trying to figure out what was wrong with me (after MS was ruled out) and the neurologist was pinning all my symptoms on spinal myelopathy, I was reluctant to accept that could be the cause for such regular, bizarre, involuntary jerking of the feet whilst trying to fall asleep. Using the Internet I determined I might have myoclonic seizures or something similar. I proposed this option to the neurologist and he very quickly and definitively said no. He explained why (and it made sense) but I no longer recall the rationale. I think it was akin to what Joolsg was saying—that myocolonic seizures would also happen at other times. Not just when trying to sleep. And while many of us do have weird movements or jerking even while awake, on occasion, it’s not predictable the way the movements are at night or when trying to sleep. If you decide to go for an EEG, please let us know how it goes. Have fun with your new grandbaby!

Joolsg profile image
Joolsg

Here's the article explaining the jerks/ tics associated with RLS.sciencedaily.com/releases/2...

PoorRichard profile image
PoorRichard in reply toJoolsg

Thanks for the article reference. It sounds promising. Is there anything more comprehensive than this abstract?

WideBody profile image
WideBody in reply toPoorRichard

I found this and a whole lot more.

physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley....

Thank you very much Joolsg this was informative. No answers, but full of information. I still wonder, given this information, would an EEG see it? Even if the EEG could diagnose the symptoms, what would the benefit be?

Joolsg profile image
Joolsg in reply toWideBody

Makes sense. I have severe RLS caused by spinal MS lesions. I had a major RLS attack whilst enclosed in an MRI machine in Sep 2016 & they kept telling me to keep still. Ha ha- impossible. I've asked my MS neurologist if anything showed up on the MRI that would help show brain/spine activity during an RLS attack but she just shrugs as if to say 'here we go again.'

Cowbsky profile image
Cowbsky

Hi, WideBody_ strongly recommend you an EEG (Polisonography, PSG). On my experience (68, used to suffer for some 50 years of RLS + SDB), this marked my rebirth in 2017;

_ RLS and SDB (sleep disorder breathing, even very minor UARS - upper airways resistence syndrome; not conventionally detected in regular PSG) very often go hand in hand, eventually misleading diagnose for so many people, for so long time;

_ just in case of any very minor signals (common arousals and/or awakenings; or maybe even without them) of UARS in your PSG, I would also suggest you too: rent a Bilevel CPAP, download this free software: sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/..... and educate yourself on interpret your respiratory night parameters, such as flow rate, tidal volume, respiratory rate, and so on, like this mine from last night . You could eventually been able to discriminate what is UARS/very active nervous sytem and what is RLS from your charts, and take properly actions on medications, etc.

all the best and good luck

OSCAR app screenshot
WideBody profile image
WideBody in reply toCowbsky

Wow so much to learn and so little time right now. Thanks! This is interesting.

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