Is restless legs syndrome underrecognized? Current management

Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 2005

2006

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common condition that is frequently unrecognized, misdiagnosed and poorly managed. It is characterized by uncomfortable sensations deep in the legs developing at rest that compel the person to move; symptoms are worst at night and sleep disturbance is common. RLS occurs in 7%-11% of the population in Western countries, and many such people experience troublesome symptoms. Primary RLS is familial in up to two thirds of patients. RLS may also be secondary to a number of conditions including iron deficiency, pregnancy and end-stage renal failure and, perhaps, neuropathy. Secondary RLS is most common in those presenting for the first time in later life. The pathogenesis of RLS probably involves the interplay of systemic or brain iron deficiency and impaired dopaminergic neurotransmission in the subcortex of the brain. RLS is very responsive to dopaminergic therapies. Rebound of RLS symptoms during the early morning and development of severe symptoms earlier in the day (augmentation) are problematic in those treated for a prolonged period with levodopa. Consequently, dopamine agonists have become first line treatment. Anti-convulsant medications and opioids are helpful in some patients. Correction of underlying problem wherever possible is important in the management of secondary RLS.

Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 2006

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is one of the commonest movement disorders affecting sleep and also daytime functioning. The prevalence may be 8%-10% of the white Caucasian population. The diagnosis is simple and is based on a well-validated clinical questionnaire, yet misdiagnosis is common and the condition remains underdiagnosed and consequently inappropriately treated, often causing great distress to the sufferers. In spite of robust evidence for effective treatment of RLS, patients may often be told to "put up with the symptoms" and suffer the consequence of years of poor sleep which may lead to major lifestyle changes. This review addresses the diagnostic issues, the differential diagnosis, and the evidence base for treatment of the common condition.

Sleep Medicine, 2004

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory-motor disorder characterized by discomfort of and urge to move the legs, primarily during rest or inactivity, partial or total relief with movement, with presence or worsening exclusively in the evening. It is a relatively common but frequently unrecognized disorder, with a prevalence ranging from 2.5 to 15% of the general population, increasing with age and with a female preponderance. The diagnosis is clinical but polysomnography is useful to determine its profound impact on sleep (difficulties in sleep onset, maintaining sleep during the night, and sleep fragmentation) and for the evidence of periodic legs movements during sleep and wake. RLS is generally idiopathic, with familial association in 40 -60% of the cases, but may also be symptomatic of such associated conditions (secondary forms) as peripheral neuropathies, uremia, iron deficiency (with or without anemia), diabetes, Parkinson's disease and pregnancy. Response to dopaminergic drugs indicates that dopamine receptors are implicated, and although much progress has been made in diagnosis and treatment in the last decade, more is needed for complete elucidation of the etiology and pathophysiology of RLS. q

Acta neurologica Taiwanica, 2008

The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder to take possession of increasing attention. RLS is characterized by an urge to move the legs, usually accompanied by uncomfortable or unpleasant sensations, that occurs or worsen at rest and is relieved by activity. The symptoms of RLS have a major impact on nocturnal sleep and daytime functions. The clinical diagnostic criteria were established and published in 2003 by International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG). All four essential criteria must be met for a positive diagnosis. However, RLS encompassed an idiopathic form of genetic or unknown origin and secondary forms associated with many causes. Special awareness should be kept for differential diagnosis such as uremia, iron deficiency anemia, polyneuropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Polysomnography, actinography, L-dopa loading test, and suggested immobilization test (SIT) are helpful tools to reduce the diagnostic...

Libyan Journal of Medicine, 2006

Nature and Science of Sleep, 2010

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder, characterized by a circadian variation of symptoms involving an urge to move the limbs (usually the legs) as well as paresthesias. There is a primary (familial) and a secondary (acquired) form, which affects a wide variety of individuals, such as pregnant women, patients with end-stage renal disease, iron deficiency, rheumatic disease, and persons taking medications. The symptoms reflect a circadian fluctuation of dopamine in the substantia nigra. RLS patients have lower dopamine and iron levels in the substantia nigra and respond to both dopaminergic therapy and iron administration. Iron, as a cofactor of dopamine production and a regulator of the expression of dopamine type 2-receptor, has an important role in the RLS etiology. In the management of the disease, the first step is to investigate possible secondary causes and their treatment. Dopaminergic agents are considered as the first-line therapy for moderate to severe RLS. If dopaminergic drugs are contraindicated or not efficacious, or if symptoms are resistant and unremitting, gabapentin or other antiepileptic agents, benzodiazepines, or opioids can be used for RLS therapy. Undiagnosed, wrongly diagnosed, and untreated RLS is associated with a significant impairment of the quality of life.

2019

Eventhough restless legs syndrome (RLSJ was first described more ıhan 300 years ago, it is a common, someıimes disabling and often misdiagnosed condition. Two clinical forms of RLS were described: primary and secondary. The primary form is mostly familial. The main causes of secondary RLS are uremia, neuropathy and iron deficiency. Periodic limb movements of sleep '(PLMS)-are repetitive, often stereotyped movements ıhat recur at intervals of 15-40 seconds during sleep. Between 70-80 % of RLS patients alsa have PLMS. RLS and PLMS therapy is generally symptomatic. Cures are only possible wiıh the secondary form where the primary illness can be cured. The drug treaıments of RLS and PLMS include dopa and dopa agonists, benzodiazepines and opiates. ln our experience L-Dopa and pergolide are the mosı effective ıreatmenıs. ·

Movement Disorders, 1995

Movement Disorders, 2008

Only in the last three decades, the restless legs syndrome (RLS) has been examined in randomized controlled trials. The Movement Disorder Society (MDS) commissioned a task force to perform an evidence-based review of the medical literature on treatment modalities used to manage patients with RLS. The task force performed a search of the published literature using electronic databases. The therapeutic efficacy of each drug was classified as being either efficacious, likely efficacious, investigational, nonefficacious, or lacking sufficient evidence to classify. Implications for clinical practice were generated based on the levels of evidence and particular features of each modality, such as adverse Produced by a task force commissioned by The Movement Disorder Society.