RLS Symptoms (rl + symptom)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Restless legs symptoms without periodic limb movements in sleep and without response to dopaminergic agents: a restless legs-like syndrome?

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 12 2007
C. R. Baumann
Patients fulfilling the essential criteria for restless legs syndrome (RLS), but in whom the response to conventional dopaminergic treatment and the presence of periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) are lacking, are occasionally encountered. The aim of this study was to systematically characterize this population. In a consecutive series of 117 patients fulfilling the essential criteria for RLS, we assessed the presence of the following supportive criteria: PLMS >15/h on polysomnography, and favourable response to dopaminergic treatment. We differentiated patients with ,classical RLS' (RLS-C; fulfilling at least one of the selected supportive criteria) from those with ,RLS-like syndrome' (RLS-L) in whom supportive criteria were not fulfilled. There were 103 RLS-C and 14 RLS-L patients. Compared with RLS-C patients, RLS-L patients were significantly younger, more severely affected by RSL symptoms, and were more probably to suffer from psychiatric comorbidities, than RLS-C patients. This study proves the existence of patients with severe RLS symptoms, but without PLMS and without response to dopaminergic treatment, who are clinically distinct from patients with ,classical RLS'. [source]


Rotigotine improves restless legs syndrome: A 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the United States,,§

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 11 2010
Wayne A. Hening MD
Abstract This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (NCT00135993) assessed efficacy and safety of the dopamine agonist rotigotine in the treatment of idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS) over a 6-month maintenance period. A total of 505 eligible participants with moderate to severe RLS (IRLS sum score , 15) were randomly assigned to five groups to receive either placebo or rotigotine (0.5, 1, 2, or 3 mg/24 hr) delivered by once-daily transdermal patch (fixed-dose regimen). The two co-primary efficacy parameters decreased from baseline to end of maintenance in IRLS sum score and in clinical global impressions (CGI-1) score. On both primary measures, 2 and 3 mg/24 hr rotigotine was superior to placebo (P < 0.001). Adjusted treatment differences to placebo for the IRLS sum score were ,4.5 (95% CI: ,6.9, ,2.2) for 2 mg/24 hr rotigotine, ,5.2 (95% CI: ,7.5, ,2.9) for 3 mg/24 hr rotigotine, and for CGI item 1 ,0.65 (95% CI: ,1.0, ,0.3) and ,0.9 (95% CI: ,1.3, ,0.5) for the 2 and 3 mg/24 hr doses, respectively. Skin reactions (27%) and known dopaminergic side effects such as nausea (18.1%) and headache (11.6%) were mostly mild or moderate in rotigotine subjects. Rotigotine transdermal patches releasing 2 to 3 mg/24 hr significantly reduced the severity of RLS symptoms. Treatment efficacy was maintained throughout the 6-month double-blind period. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source]


The pharmacological treatment for uremic restless legs syndrome: Evidence-based review,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 10 2010
Márcio Moysés de Oliveira MD
Abstract Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common and often misdiagnosed entity among the general population and it may be more common among dialysis patients, with an estimated prevalence of 6.6 to 21.5%. The treatment for uremic RLS has been controversial and therefore a systematic synthesis of the evidence is needed in order to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of treatments for uremic RLS. This was a systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized double-blind trials on treatments for uremic RLS. The outcomes considered were relief of RLS symptoms marked on a validated scale, subjective sleep quality, sleep quality measured using night polysomnography and actigraphy, quality of life measured subjectively, and adverse events associated with these treatments. Six eligible clinical trials were included. The results from subjective analyses in these studies were divergent, although objective analyses in one trial showed that there was a statistically significant improvement in periodic leg movement while asleep in the treatment group. No combined analysis (meta-analysis) was performed. The most common adverse event seen was gastrointestinal symptoms. Only a few therapeutic trials on patients with uremia with RLS have been published, and there is insufficient scientific evidence to favor any specific therapeutic regimen for uremic-associated RLS. Therapy using levodopa, dopaminergic agonists, anticonvulsants, and clonidine tend to be effective, but further studies are needed. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Restless legs syndrome: Evidence for nocturnal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system activation,

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, Issue 8 2010
Claudia Schilling MD
Abstract Epidemiological studies consistently point to a relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and cardiovascular disease. The mechanism underlying this association is unclear. Activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system has been shown to contribute to the metabolic syndrome and an enhanced cardiovascular risk. We investigated cortisol levels as an indicator of HPA system activity in RLS during the nighttime, when RLS symptoms are at their maximum. We assessed nocturnal urinary cortisol excretion in 73 patients with RLS and 34 healthy controls, controlling for age and gender. Urine sampling was paralleled by polysomnographic recordings. We found significantly enhanced nocturnal cortisol excretion in RLS, demonstrating nocturnal HPA system overactivity in RLS. HPA system overactivity is a possible mechanism contributing to the enhanced load of cardiovascular disease in RLS patients. Nocturnal cortisol release showed weak correlations with some polysomnographic parameters of disturbed sleep, making a potential contribution of RLS-induced sleep disruption to HPA system activation conceivable. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society [source]


Circadian rhythm of restless legs syndrome: Relationship with biological markers

ANNALS OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2004
Martin Michaud PhD
Recently, it was suggested that the intensity of restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms may be modulated by a circadian factor. The objective of this study was to evaluate, during a 28-hour modified constant routine, the nycthemeral or circadian variations in subjective leg discomfort and periodic leg movements (PLMs) and to parallel these changes with those of subjective vigilance, core body temperature, and salivary melatonin. Seven patients with primary RLS and seven healthy subjects matched for sex and age entered this study. Although the symptoms were more severe in patients than in controls, a significant circadian variation in leg discomfort and PLM (p < 0.01) was found for both groups. In both groups, the profiles of leg discomfort and PLM were significantly correlated with those of subjective vigilance, core body temperature, and salivary melatonin. However, among these variables, the changes in melatonin secretion were the only ones that preceded the increase in sensory and motor symptoms in RLS patients. This result and those of others studies showing that melatonin exerts an inhibitory effect on central dopamine secretion suggest that melatonin might be implicated in the worsening of RLS symptoms in the evening and during the night. [source]