Table 5.
Published studies investigating the relationship between ADHD and PLMS in children
| Study | Sample size (n) | Age (years) | Study design | Medication | Measurement | Major findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADHD symptoms | ||||||
| Chervin et al58 | 866 | 2–13 | Cross-sectional, community-based | NA | PSQ CPRS |
Inattention and hyperactivity in general pediatric patients were associated with symptoms of PLMS. |
| Chervin and Archbold74 | 113 | 2–18 | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | Medicated | PSG CPRS |
Rate of PLMS showed a linear association with hyperactivity among subjects with SDB, but no association among those subjects without SDB. |
| ADHD diagnosis | ||||||
| Picchietti et al48 | 14 ADHD 10 controls |
5–12 | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | Unmedicated | PSG | Prevalence of PLMS was higher in the children with ADHD than in controls. |
| ADHD comorbid with other diagnosis | ||||||
| Silvestri et al52 | 55 ADHD 20 healthy controls |
6–11 | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | NA | Nocturnal video-PSG International RLS Rating Scale |
Significant correlations emerged for International RLS Rating Scale scoring, PLMS indices, hyperactivity, opposition scores, and ADHD subtypes. |
| Kirk and Bohn76 | 591 | NA | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | NA | PSG | Prevalence of PLMS in 28 children with pre-existing diagnosis of ADHD in our population was higher (7.1%) than group prevalence (5.6%). |
| Huang et al77 | 88 ADHD 27 healthy controls |
6–12 | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | NA | PSG | Nine (10.2%) of the ADHD group had ≥5 PLMS per hour, but none in the control group. |
| Golan et al17 | 34 ADHD 32 healthy controls |
7–17 | Cross-sectional, clinic-based | Unmedicated | PSG | Five of the ADHD group had PLMS during sleep (15%) versus none in the control group. |
| Crabtree et al75 | 40 PLMD/ADHD 50 PLMD only 52 controls |
5–7 | Cross-sectional, Community-based and clinic-based samples | Medicated | PSG | Children with PLMD and ADHD had a significantly greater number of arousals associated with PLMS than children with PLMD only. |
Abbreviations: ADHD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; PSQ, Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire; CPRS, Conners’ Parent Rating Scale; PLMD, periodic limb movement disorder; RLS, restless legs syndrome; PLMS, periodic limb movements; SDB, sleep-disordered breathing; PSG, polysomnography.