[Restless legs]

Abstract

Background: Restless legs syndrome is a common and not fully appreciated disorder. Improved treatment options require knowledge about the condition.

Material and methods: The article is based on a literature search on Medline, PubMed and Scirus for the years 1988-2003 with the keyword "restless legs".

Results and interpretation: Restless legs syndrome is a chronic condition defined as an irresistible desire to move one's limbs, usually associated with paraesthesia/dysaesthesia and motor restlessness. The symptoms start or worsen at rest and improve with activity. The prevalence is between 5% and 15%. 80% of patients suffer from periodic limb movements in sleep. A current hypothesis is that the condition results from a deficiency of iron that lead to the underlying dopaminergic abnormalities. Therapeutically, studies have confirmed the effect of levodopa and dopamine agonists; dopamine agonists seem to imply less risk of side effects.