PSG Tech Guide

Polysomnographic Technologists Resources

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Movement

Periodic limb movements in sleep

Four movements • Onsets 20 seconds apart

Educational reference, not a diagnostic tool. A scored event, an elevated index and a clinical diagnosis are different things. Follow your facility’s scoring manual, notification policies and clinical protocols.

  • A PLMS series needs at least four qualifying LMs; onset-to-onset intervals are 5–90 s.
  • Assumes sleep and no respiratory exclusion; PLMS on PSG does not by itself diagnose PLMD.

Waveforms

Periodic limb movements in sleep

Not clinically reviewed

Movement

Synthetic teaching exampleA PLMS series needs at least four qualifying LMs; onset-to-onset intervals are 5–90 s. Assumes sleep and no respiratory exclusion; PLMS on PSG does not by itself diagnose PLMD.Source: User-supplied synthetic teaching illustration. Not patient data. Printed source keys: ISR, RLS_guideline. Instructor review pending. Accompanying guide and full source details were not supplied or verified.Pattern recognition, not a complete scoring rule or diagnosis. Confirm the current facility scoring criteria and clinical context. Not AASM-approved.

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