Restless legs syndrome sees the light of day

摘要

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder with a prevalence of 5-10% in the white population. Diagnosis of RLS has been facilitated in the past 5 years by criteria put forth by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel,2 and the biological basis of RLS is beginning to be understood with the discovery of genetic polymorphisms that predispose patients to RLS or periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS). RLS remains a clinical diagnosis, but the PLMS recorded on polysomnography or on actigraphy are potential biomarkers for RLS.The symptoms of RLS are strongly affected by circadian rhythms, and many patients seek help from sleep specialists because an urge to move or discomfort in the legs can result in sleep-onset insomnia. However, RLS is being increasingly recognised as a multifaceted disorder, with daytime manifestations such as inability to sit still and involuntary daytime leg jerks that are not necessarily periodic.