Multicenter Case-Control Study on Restless Legs Syndrome in Multiple Sclerosis: the REMS Study

摘要

ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF SLEEP DISORDERS AND TO THE STANDARD DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA, RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME (RLS) is a sleep-related movement disorder characterized by uncomfortable sensations in the legs, which begin or worsen during rest, improve or disappear with movement, and occur or worsen in the evening or at night. Periodic limb movements (PLM), sleep disturbance, and a responsiveness to dopamine-agonist therapy are often associated with RLS. RLS is still un-derdiagnosed; however, its prevalence in the general population has been estimated to be approximately 5%.The majority of RLS cases are commonly classified as idiopathic and include sporadic and inherited forms.The terms "symptomatic" or "secondary" refer to RLS forms significantly related to physiologic or pathologic conditions, such as iron deficiency, renal failure, pregnancy, antidopaminergic therapy, or rheumatoid arthritis. Although the etiopathogenesis of PLM and RLS is still unknown, several lines of evidence suggest a dopaminergic system dysfunction as the basic mechanism#