Functional (Psychogenic) Movement Disorders Presenting During Sleep

BACKGROUND: Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders are involuntary movements that seems to originate from activation of voluntary motor pathways in the brain. The movements typically present during the waking hours with variable frequency. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 24-year-old woman with FMDs during the waking state, but also during stages 1 and 2 of non-REM sleep and REM sleep, recorded with polysomnography. Such movements caused arousal leading to excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: FMDs may disrupt sleep causing day time somnolence, adding morbidity to the disorder.