Anticonvulsants to treat idiopathic restless legs syndrome: systematic review

Abstract

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory motor disorder characterized by a distressing urge to move the legs and sometimes also other parts of the body usually accompanied by a marked sense of discomfort or pain in the leg or other affected body part. Many treatments have been used to minimize the discomfort of the disease, among them the anticonvulsant therapy.

Aim: This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anticonvulsant treatment for idiopathic RLS.

Method: Systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized, double blind trials on anticonvulsant treatment for RLS.

Outcomes: relief of RLS symptoms, subjective and objective sleep quality, quality of life, and adverse events associated with the treatments.

Results: A total of 231 patients were randomized in three cross over studies and one parallel study. Three studies with carbamazepine, one with sodium valproate, and one with gabapentin, and they were very heterogeneous so we could not perform a meta-analysis.

Conclusions: There is no scientific evidence on RLS treatment with anticonvulsants for clinical practice.