Hémiplégie et mouvements périodiques : Un accident vasculaire cérébral facilitateur ?

Periodic limb movements are characterized by periodic episodes of repetitive and stereotyped limb movements that mainly occur during sleep. Most cases are idiopathic but symptomatic forms have been described. We report the case of a patient who suffered a left middle cerebral artery territory infarction, with subsequent onset periodic movements involving the right plegic lower limb during wake and sleep. We hypothesize that the loss of supra-spinal inhibition secondary to the pyramidal tract lesion may have led to a hyperexcitability of the spinal sensorimotor pathway resulting in permanent severe periodic movements. Treatment with dopamine agonist agents significantly improved the symptomatology.