Is It Psychogenic Non‐Epileptic Event, Sleep Related Rhythmical Movement Disorder or Hypermotor Seizure?
Distinguishing non-epileptic events from epileptic seizures remains a clinical challenge, particularly when occurring exclusively during sleep. Sleep-related rhythmical movement disorder (SRRMD) is a benign condition typically seen in early childhood, characterised by stereotyped, rhythmical repetitive movements involving large muscle groups, predominantly during Stage II of non-REM sleep. These movements can closely mimic features of sleep parasomnias, hypermotor seizures or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), complicating the diagnostic approach. We present a case of an adolescent female with comorbid SRRMD and PNES and a clinical approach to distinguish between them.
Authors
- Jennifer J. Waldron
- Akshaya Rathin Sivaji (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3896-9127)
- Said A. Ibrahim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2657-8834)
- Emily Langan
- Sanah Virdah Parvez
Institutions
- Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital (US)
- University School (US)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Sleep Research
- Published
- 2026-02-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.70302
- Primary Topic
- Restless Legs Syndrome Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00