Loss of response during long-term treatment of restless legs syndrome: guidelines approved by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group for use in clinical trials.

摘要

Loss of efficacy represents a potential major problem during long-term treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS). One retrospective study reported that 46% of patients treated with pramipexole experienced a reduced benefit of this agent over time [1]. During long-term treatment of RLS, reduction or complete loss of efficacy can occur for two main reasons: loss of response or augmentation. Loss of response, unlike augmentation, does not require RLS symptoms to become worse than before treatment, neither additional "new" RLS symptoms (e.g., a spread of symptoms to previously unaffected body parts) nor a shorter latency to symptoms at rest or an increased symptom intensity when present [2].