Restless legs syndrome Classification and external resources
Sleep pattern of a Restless Legs Syndrome patient (red) vs. a healthy sleep pattern (blue).
ICD-10	G25.8
ICD-9	333.94
OMIM	102300 608831
DiseasesDB	29476
eMedicine	neuro/509
MeSH	D012148

Restless legs syndrome (RLS, Wittmaack-Ekbom's syndrome, or sometimes, but inaccurately, referred to as Nocturnal myoclonus) is a condition that is characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can also be in the arms and torso. Moving the affected body part modulates the sensations, providing temporary relief. RLS causes a sensation in the legs or arms that can most closely be compared to a burning, itching, or tickling sensation in the muscles.^{[citation needed]} Some controversy surrounds the marketing of drug treatments for RLS. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision (ICD-10) is a coding of diseases and signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or diseases, as classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). ... // G00-G99 - Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G09) Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (G00) Bacterial meningitis, not elsewhere classified (G01) Meningitis in bacterial diseases classified elsewhere (G02) Meningitis in other infectious and parasitic diseases classified elsewhere (G03) Meningitis due to other and unspecified causes (G04) Encephalitis, myelitis... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The Mendelian Inheritance in Man project is a database that catalogues all the known diseases with a genetic component, and - when possible - links them to the relevant genes in the human genome. ... The Disease Bold textDatabase is a free website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions, symptoms, and medications. ... eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996. ... Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. ... Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), also called nocturnal myoclonus, is a sleep disorder where the patient moves involuntarily during sleep. ...

Signs and symptoms

The sensations—and the need to move—may return immediately after ceasing movement, or at a later time. RLS may start at any age, including early childhood, and is a progressive disease for a certain portion of those afflicted, although the symptoms have disappeared permanently in some sufferers.

• "An urge to move, usually due to uncomfortable sensations that occur primarily in the legs."

The sensations are unusual and unlike other common sensations, and those with RLS have a hard time describing them. People use words such as: uncomfortable, antsy, electrical, creeping, painful, itching, pins and needles, pulling, creepy-crawly, ants inside the legs, and many others. The sensation and the urge can occur in any body part; the most cited location is legs, followed by arms. Some people have little or no sensation, yet still have a strong urge to move.

• "Motor restlessness, expressed as activity, that relieves the urge to move."

Movement will usually bring immediate relief, however, often only temporary and partial. Walking is most common; however, doing stretches, yoga, biking, or other physical activity may relieve the symptoms. Constant and fast up-and-down movement of the leg, coined "sewing machine legs" by at least one RLS sufferer, is often done to keep the sensations at bay without having to walk. Sometimes a specific type of movement will help a person more than another.

• "Worsening of symptoms by relaxation."

Any type of inactivity involving sitting or lying—reading a book, a plane ride, watching TV or a movie, taking a nap—can trigger the sensations and urge to move. This depends on several factors: the severity of the person’s RLS, the degree of restfulness, the duration of the inactivity, etc.

• "Variability over the course of the day-night cycle, with symptoms worse in the evening and early in the night."

While some only experience RLS at bedtime and others experience it throughout the day and night, most sufferers experience the worst symptoms in the evening and the least in the morning.

NIH criteria

In 2003, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus panel modified their criteria to include the following:

1. an urge to move the limbs with or without sensations
2. worsening at rest
3. improvement with activity
4. worsening in the evening or night.^[1]

RLS is either primary or secondary.

• Primary RLS is considered idiopathic, or with no known cause. Primary RLS usually begins before approximately 40 to 45 years of age, and can even occur as early as the first year of life. In primary RLS, the onset is often slow. The RLS may disappear for months, or even years. It is often progressive and gets worse as the person ages. RLS in children is often misdiagnosed as growing pains.

• Secondary RLS often has a sudden onset and may be daily from the very beginning. It often occurs after the age of 40, however it can occur earlier. It is most associated with specific medical conditions or the use of certain drugs. The most commonly associated medical condition is iron deficiency, which accounts for just over 20% of all cases of RLS. The conditions include: pregnancy, varicose vein or venous reflux, folate deficiency, sleep apnea, uremia, diabetes, thyroid problems, peripheral neuropathy, Parkinson's disease and certain auto-immune disorders such as Sjögren's syndrome, Celiac Disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment of the underlying condition, or cessation of use of the offending drug, often eliminates the RLS.

Idiopathic means arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause. ... For other uses, see Growing Pains (disambiguation). ... For a more specific and detailed discussion of anemia caused by iron deficiency, see the Wikipedia article iron deficiency anemia. ... Varicose veins are veins on the leg which are large, twisted, and ropelike, and can cause pain, swelling, or itching. ... Signs of folic acid deficiency are often subtle. ... Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. ... Uremia is a toxic condition resulting from renal failure, when kidney function is compromised and urea, a waste product normally excreted in the urine, is retained in the blood. ... For the disease characterized by excretion of large amounts of very dilute urine, see diabetes insipidus. ... Sjögrens syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which immune cells attack and destroy the glands that produce tears and saliva. ... Coeliac disease (also termed non-tropical sprue, celiac disease and gluten intolerance) is an autoimmune disease characterised by chronic inflammation of the proximal portion of the small intestine caused by exposure to certain dietary gluten proteins. ... Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is traditionally considered a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack the joints. ...

Causes

Certain medications may worsen RLS in those who already have it, or cause it secondarily. These include: anti-nausea drugs, certain antihistamines (often in over-the-counter cold medications), drugs used to treat depression (both older tricyclics and newer SSRIs), antipsychotic drugs, and certain medications used to control seizures. An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. ... An antihistamine is a drug which serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergic reactions, through action at the histamine receptor. ... Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to prescription drugs. ... An antidepressant is a medication used primarily in the treatment of clinical depression. ... Chemical structure of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline Tricyclic antidepressants are a class of antidepressant drugs first used in the 1950s. ... SSRI is an acronym that stands for several things: It is a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor SSRI also is used as the stock symbol for Silver Standard Resources Inc. ... The term antipsychotic is applied to a group of drugs used to treat psychosis. ... This article is about the medical condition. ...

Hypoglycemia has also been found to worsen RLS symptoms.^[2] Opioid detoxification has also recently been associated with provocation of RLS-like symptoms during withdrawal^{[citation needed]}. For those affected, a reduction or elimination in the consumption of simple and refined carbohydrates or starches (for example, sugar, white flour, white rice and white potatoes) or some hard fats, such as those found in beef or biscuits, is recommended. Some doctors believe it is caused by irregular electrical impulses from the brain. Hypoglycemia (hypoglycaemia in British English) is a medical term referring to a pathologic state produced by a lower than normal level of glucose (sugar) in the blood. ... Carbohydrates (literally hydrates of carbon) are chemical compounds that act as the primary biological means of storing or consuming energy, other forms being fat and protein. ... Starch is a complex carbohydrate which is insoluble in water. ... Fats is the plural for fat, a generic term for a class of lipids in biochemistry. ...

Both primary and secondary RLS can be worsened by surgery of any kind, however back surgery or injury can be associated with causing RLS.^[3] RLS can worsen in pregnancy.^[4] This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ...

Some experts believe RLS and periodic limb movement disorder are strongly associated with ADHD in some children. Dopamine appears to factor into both conditions.In addition, many types of medication for the treatment of both conditions affect dopamine levels in the brain.^[5] Periodic Limb Movement Disorder, also called nocturnal myoclonus is a sleep disorder where the patient moves involuntarily during sleep. ... DISCLAIMER Please remember that Wikipedia is offered for informational use only. ...

The likelihood of being diagnosed with restless legs syndrome increases with age and weight, and decreases with exercise level, indicating that people who have unhealthy eating habits and poor exercise regimens are more likely to develop this syndrome.^{[citation needed]}

Genetics

More than 60% of cases of RLS are familial^[6] and are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion with variable penetrance. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Dominance relationship. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...

No one knows the exact cause of RLS at present. Research and brain autopsies have implicated both dopaminergic system and iron insufficiency in the substantia nigra (study published in Neurology, 2003).^[7] Iron is an essential cofactor for the formation of L-dopa, the precursor of dopamine. The substantia nigra, (Latin for black substance, Soemering) or locus niger is a heterogeneous portion of the midbrain, separating the pes (foot) from the tegmentum (covering), and a major element of the basal ganglia system. ...

Five genetic loci found by linkage are currently known. Other than the first, the remainder of the linkage loci were discovered using an autosomal dominant model of inheritance. Linkage can refer to: Genetic linkage Linkage (mechanical engineering) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

• The first genetic locus was discovered in one large French Canadian family and maps on chromosome 12q.^[8][9] This locus was discovered, however, using an autosomal recessive inheritance model. Evidence for this locus was also found using a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) in 12 Bavarian families.^[10]

• The second RLS locus maps to chromosome 14q and was discovered in one Italian family.^[11] Evidence for this locus was found in one French Canadian family.^[12] Also, an association study in a large sample 159 trios of European descent showed some evidence for this locus.^[13]

• The third locus maps to chromosome 9p and was discovered in two unrelated American families.^[14] Evidence for this locus was also found by the TDT in a large Bavarian family,^[15] as well as in a German family, in which significant linkage to this locus was found.^[16]

• The next locus maps to chromosome 20p and was discovered in a large French Canadian family with RLS.^[17]

• The fifth locus maps to chromosome 2p and was found in three related families from population isolate in South Tyrol.^[18]

Three genes, MEIS1, BTBD9 and MAP2K5, were found to be associated to RLS.^[19] Their role in RLS pathogenesis is still unclear. French Canadian is a term that has several different connotations. ... A scheme of a condensed (metaphase) chromosome. ... In genetics, the term recessive gene refers to an allele that causes a phenotype (visible or detectable characteristic) that is only seen in a homozygous genotype (an organism that has two copies of the same allele). ... The transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) was proposed by Spielman, McGinnis & Ewens (1993) as a family-based association test to test for the presence of genetic linkage between a genetic marker and a trait. ... Bavarian can either when used as an adjective, refer to the German state of Bavaria; or refer to the Bavarian or Austro-Bavarian language, a group of closely related dialects spoken in parts of Bavaria, most of Austria and the South Tyrol. ... Association may refer to: A voluntary association (also sometimes called an association) is a group of individuals who voluntarily enter into an agreement, explicit or implicit, to form or act as a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose. ... Trio is generally used in any of the following ways: Three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument. ... The European peoples are the various nations and ethnic groups of Europe. ... The Autonomous Province of Bolzano-Bozen[1][2] (Italian: Provincia autonoma di Bolzano; German: Autonome Provinz Bozen; Ladin: Provinzia autonòma de Balsan), also called Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italian: Alto Adige; German: Südtirol; Ladin: Adesc Aut[3][4] or Sudtirol; English: Alto Adige or South Tyrol), is an... Pathogenesis is the mechanism by which a certain etiological factor causes disease (pathos = disease, genesis = development). ...

There is also some evidence that periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) are associated with BTBD9 on chromosome 6p21.2.^[20]

Diagnosis

Prevention

Treatment

An algorithm for treating primary RLS (i.e., RLS that is not the result of another medical condition) was created by leading researchers at the Mayo Clinic and is endorsed by the Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. This document provides guidance to both the treating physician and the patient, and includes both nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments.^[21] Treatment of primary RLS should not be considered until possible precipitating medical conditions are ruled out. Drug therapy in RLS is not curative and is known to have significant side effects; it needs to be considered with caution. Secondary RLS has the potential for cure if the precipitating medical condition is managed effectively. Possible primary conditions indicated in secondary RLS include iron deficiency, varicose veins, and thyroid problems. Mayo Clinic is a medical practice based in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, integrated with hospital facilities and a medical school. ... Iron deficiency can refer to: Iron deficiency (plant disorder) Iron deficiency (medicine) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Vein gymnastics in the barefoot park Dornstetten, Germany. ...

Iron supplements

According to some guidelines^{[citation needed]}, all people with RLS should have their ferritin levels tested; ferritin levels should be at least 50 mcg for those with RLS. Oral iron supplements, taken under a doctor's care, can increase ferritin levels. For some people, increasing ferritin will eliminate or reduce RLS symptoms. A ferritin level of 50 mcg is not sufficient for some sufferers and increasing the level to 80 mcg may greatly reduce symptoms. However, at least 40% of people will not notice any improvement. Treatment with IV iron is being tested at the US Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital. It is dangerous to take iron supplements without first having ferritin levels tested, as many people with RLS do not have low ferritin and taking iron when it is not called for can cause iron overload disorder, potentially a very dangerous condition.^[22] Ferritin is a globular protein found mainly in the liver, which can store about 4500 iron (Fe3+)ions in a hollow protein shell made of 24 subunits. ... Mayo Clinic is a medical practice based in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, integrated with hospital facilities and a medical school. ... The Dome of the Johns Hopkins Hospital as seen from Broadway. ... In medicine, iron overload disorders are diseases caused by the accumulation of iron in the body. ...

Pharmaceuticals

For those whose RLS disrupts or prevents sleep or regular daily activities, medication may be required. Many doctors currently use, and the Mayo Clinic algorithm includes,^[21] medication from four categories: Mayo Clinic is a medical practice based in Rochester, Minnesota, USA, integrated with hospital facilities and a medical school. ... Flowcharts are often used to graphically represent algorithms. ...

1. Dopamine agonists such as ropinirole, pramipexole, carbidopa/levodopa or pergolide. Ropinirole (Requip) was first approved In 2005 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat moderate to severe Restless Legs Syndrome. The drug was first approved for Parkinson's disease in 1997. Pramipexole (Mirapex, Sifrol, Mirapexen in the EU) received a positive recommendation by the EU Scientific Committee in February 2006. The FDA approved Mirapex for sale in the US in 2006. Rotigotine (Neupro), which is delivered by a transdermal patch was approved by the FDA in May 2007. It was approved for sale in the EU in 2007. There are some issues with the use of dopamine augmentation. Dopamine agonists may cause augmentation. This is a medical condition where the drug itself causes symptoms to increase in severity and/or occur earlier in the day. Dopamine agonists may also cause rebound, when symptoms increase as the drug wears off. Also, a recent study indicated that dopamine agonists used in restless leg patients can lead to an increase in compulsive gambling.^[23]
2. Opioids such as propoxyphene, oxycodone, or methadone, etc.
3. Benzodiazepines, which often assist in staying asleep and reducing awakenings from the movements
4. Anticonvulsants, which often help people who experience the RLS sensations as painful, such as carbamazepine^[24]

Recently, several major pharmaceutical companies are reported to be marketing drugs without an explicit approval for RLS, which are "off-label" applications for drugs approved for other diseases. The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation^[25] received 44% of its $1.4 million in funding from these pharmaceutical groups^[26] Dopamine agonist is a synthetic drug that mimics the effect of the neurotransmitter dopamine. ... Requip (ropinirole) is so far the only medication in the United States with an FDA approved indication for the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome. ... Pramipexole (INN, trade names Mirapex® and Sifrol®) is a medication indicated for treating Parkinsons disease and restless legs syndrome (RLS). ... Carbidopa (MK-486) is a drug given to people with Parkinsons disease in order to inhibit peripheral metabolism of levodopa. ... Levodopa (INN) or L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) is an intermediate in dopamine biosynthesis. ... Pergolide is an ergoline-based dopamine receptor agonist used for the treatment of Parkinsons disease. ... Requip (ropinirole) is so far the only medication in the United States with an FDA approved indication for the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome. ... The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government agency responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, biologics and blood products in the United States. ... Pramipexole (INN, trade names Mirapex® and Sifrol®) is a medication indicated for treating Parkinsons disease and restless legs syndrome (RLS). ... Rotigotine [trade name: Neupro®] is a non-ergolinic dopamine agonist and is currently approved for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of early-stage Parkinson’s disease in Europe. ... A 21mg dose Nicoderm CQ patch applied to the right arm A transdermal patch or skin patch is a medicated adhesive patch that is placed on the skin to deliver a time released dose of medication through the skin and into the bloodstream. ... Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. ... An opioid is a chemical substance that has a morphine-like action in the body. ... Dextropropoxyphene is an analgesic in the opioid category that is used to treat severe pain and severe coughs. ... Not to be confused with oxytocin. ... Methadone (Dolophine®, Amidone®, Methadose®, Physeptone®, Heptadon® and many others) is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic, antitussive and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients on opioids. ... Alprazolam 2 mg tablets The benzodiazepines (pronounced , often abbreviated to benzos) are a class of sedative hypnotic psychoactive drugs with varying hypnotic, sedative, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, muscle relaxant and amnesic properties, which are mediated by slowing down the central nervous system. ... The anticonvulsants, sometimes also called antiepileptics, belong to a diverse group of pharmaceuticals used in prevention of the occurrence of epileptic seizures. ... Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an benzodiazepiene and mood stabilizing drug, used primarily in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. ... The term off-label refers to the use of a drug for a medical condition other than for which it was officially approved and marketed. ...

Ropinirole vs. Pramipexole

A meta-study published November 2007 compared previous 6-12 week long studies done for ropinirole and pramipexole for adverse reactions and efficacy. It found that while both drugs had the same efficacy, pramipexole had significantly lower incidences of nausea, vomiting and dizziness. This led the authors to conclude "differences in efficacy and tolerability favouring pramipexole over ropinirole can be observed."^[27] While a 52 week open label study found that "ropinirole treatment for RLS over 52 weeks was found to be well tolerated and appropriate for long-term use."^[28] A meta-analysis is a statistical practice of combining the results of a number of studies. ...

The non drug musculoskeletal approach

The non-drug musculoskeletal approach has been developed by a small group of doctors working at the London College of Osteopathic Medicine, London, UK and appears to produces relief of symptoms in 80–90% of patients. A small pilot study carried out at the London College of Osteopathic Medicine, using a specific form of manipulation, showed successful relief of symptoms in more that 80% of sufferers ^[29]. This followed the empirical observation that a large proportion of RLS sufferers have a "somatic dysfunction" at the lowermost level of the lumbar spine, and that a specific type of gentle manipulation could relieve their symptoms. One study has shown that RLS patients have increased rather than the normal decreased spinal cord excitability during sleep^[30] and this fits with the osteopathic concept of spinal facilitation postulated by Korr. Specific types of manipulation appear to reduce this excessive sensory input and relieve symptoms. This non drug treatment approach is free of the side effects associated with many of the drug treatments outlined above.

Prognosis

Epidemiology

Restless leg syndrome affects an estimated 7.2% of the general population in the U.S.A., but claims about the prevalence of RLS can be confusing because its severity varies enormously between individual sufferers; only a minority of sufferers (2.7% of population) experience daily or severe symptoms.^[31]

Often sufferers think they are the only ones to be afflicted by this peculiar condition and are relieved when they find out that many others also suffer from it. The severity and frequency of the disorder vary tremendously. Many people only experience symptoms when they try to sleep, while others experience symptoms during the day. It is common to experience symptoms on long car rides or during any long period of inactivity (like watching television or a movie, attending a musical or theatrical performance, etc.) Approximately 80–90% of people with RLS also have PLMD, periodic limb movement disorder, which causes slow "jerks" or flexions of the affected body part. These occur during sleep (PLMS = periodic limb movement while sleeping) or while awake (PLMW—periodic limb movement while waking). Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD), also called nocturnal myoclonus, is a sleep disorder where the patient moves involuntarily during sleep. ...

About 10% of adults in North America and Europe may experience RLS symptoms, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which reports that "lower prevalence has been found in India, Japan and Singapore," indicating that different genetic or environmental factors, including diet, may play a role in the prevalence of this syndrome.^[32] As part of its consumer awareness programs, NSF sponsors such initiatives as National Sleep Research Fellowships provide young researchers with funds to carry on full-time research in sleep-related fields. ...

History

Earlier studies were done by Thomas Willis (1622–1675) and by Theodor Wittmaack.^[33] Another early description of the disease and its symptoms were made by George Miller Beard (1839-1883).^[33] In a 1945 publication titled 'Restless Legs', Karl-Axel Ekbom described the disease and presented eight cases used for his studies.^[34] Thomas Willis Thomas Willis (1621-1673) was an English physician who played an important part in the history of the science of anatomy and was a co-founder of the Royal Society (1662). ... George Miller Beard (May 8, 1839-January 23, 1883) was a U.S. neurologist who coined the term neurasthenia in 1869. ...

Controversy

As with many diseases with diffuse symptoms, there is controversy among physicians as to whether RLS is a distinct syndrome. The US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke publishes an information sheet^[35] characterizing the syndrome but acknowledging it as a difficult diagnosis. Some physicians doubt that RLS actually exists as a legitimate clinical entity, but believe it to be a kind of "catch-all" category, perhaps related to a general heightened sympathetic nervous system (SNS) response that could be caused by any number of physical or emotional factors^{[citation needed]}. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. ... The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is a branch of the autonomic nervous system. ...

The UK support group for RLS calls itself the "Ekbom support group" and explains that RLS and "Ekbom's Syndrome" are two names for the same condition. However, RLS and delusional parasitosis are entirely different conditions that share part of the Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome eponym, as both syndromes were described by the same person, Karl-Axel Ekbom.^[33] Delusional parasitosis is a form of psychosis in which sufferers hold a delusional belief they are infested with parasites [1]. Delusional parasitosis is also referred to as Ekboms Syndrome, named after a Swedish neurologist, Karl Axel Ekbom,[2] who published seminal accounts of the disease in 1937 and 1938. ... An eponymous disease is one that has been named after the person who first described the condition. ...

Many doctors express the view that the incidence of restless leg syndrome is exaggerated by manufacturers of drugs used to treat it.^[36] Other physicians consider it a real entity that has specific diagnostic criteria.^[37]

See also

• Actigraphy
• Parasomnia
• Disease mongering
• Akathisia: A similar condition.

Actigraphy is a method of study of circadian rhythm and wake-sleep patterns. ... A parasomnia is any sleep disorder such as sleepwalking, sleepeating, sleep sex, teeth grinding, night terrors, rhythmic movement disorder, REM behaviour disorder, restless leg syndrome, and somniloquy (or sleep talking), characterized by partial arousals during sleep or during transitions between wakefulness and sleep. ... Disease mongering is a term used to describe a perceived attempt by pharmaceutical companies to promote public awareness of (frequently harmless) conditions or diseases with the aim of increasing sales of medication. ... Akathisia (or acathisia) is an often extremely unpleasant subjective sensation of inner restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless, hence the origin of its name: Greek a (without) + kathesis (sitting). ...

References

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Who Named It is a Norwegian database of several thousand eponymous medical signs and the doctors associated with their identification. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ...

External links

• restless_legs at NINDS
• "restless_leg_syndrome" at medicinenet.com
• Center for RLS, education at Johns Hopkins
• Restless legs syndrome at the Open Directory Project

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. ... WebMD is available to both consumers and physicians, and contains several different health sites owned and run by WebMD, including WebMD Health, Medscape, MedicineNet, eMedicine, eMedicine Health, RxList and theheart. ... This article is about the person. ... The Open Directory Project (ODP), also known as dmoz (from , its original domain name), is a multilingual open content directory of World Wide Web links owned by Netscape that is constructed and maintained by a community of volunteer editors. ...

// Chorea sancti viti (Latin for St. ... Choreoathetosis is a combination of chorea and athetosis. ... Stiff person syndrome (SPS) (or occasionally, stiff-man syndrome) is a rare neurologic disorder of unknown etiology. ... A demyelinating disease is any disease of the nervous system in which the myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. ... Alzheimer redirects here. ... Pick’s disease, also known as Pick disease and PiD, is a rare fronto-temporal neurodegenerative disease. ... Alpers disease, also called progressive infantile poliodystrophy, is a progressive degenerative disease of the central nervous system that occurs in infants and children. ... Dementia with Lewy bodies is the second most frequent cause of hospitalization for dementia, after Alzheimers disease. ... Leighs disease, a form of Leigh syndrome, also known as Subacute Necrotizing Encephalomyelopathy (SNEM), is a rare neurometabolic disorder that affects the central nervous system. ... Devics disease, also known as Devics syndrome, neuromyelitis optica (NMO), or optic-spinal MS, is an autoimmune, inflammatory disorder in which a persons own immune system attacks myelin of the neurons of the optic nerves and spinal cord. ... Central pontine myelinolysis is a neurologic disease caused by severe damage of the myelin sheath of nerve cells in the brainstem, more precisely in the area termed the pons. ... Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder caused by a loss of the myelin encasing the spinal cord, also known as demyelination. ... This article is about epileptic seizures. ... Focal seizures (also called partial seizures) are seizures which are characterized by: preserved consciousness in simple focal seizures impaired consciousness (dream-like) in complex focal seizures experience of unusual feelings or sensations sudden and inexplainable feelings of joy, anger, sadness, or nausea altered sense of hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, or... Simple partial seizures are seizures which affect only a small region of the brain, often the temporal lobes and/or hippocampi. ... A complex partial seizure is an epileptic seizure that is limited to one cerebral hemisphere and causes impairment of awareness or responsiveness [1]. // Complex partial seizures are often preceded by a seizure aura[2]. The seizure aura is a simple partial seizure [3]. The seizure aura might occur as a... Generalised epilepsy is a form of epilepsy, a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures, which are a result of abnormal activity in both sides of the brain. ... Tonic-clonic seizures (also known as Grand Mal Seizures, though this term is now discouraged and rarely used in a clinical setting) are a type of generalised seizure affecting the whole brain. ... Absence seizures are one of several kinds of seizures. ... Atonic seizures (also called drop seizures, drop attacks, or akinetic seizures), are a minor type of seizure. ... Benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is a rare autosomal dominant inherited form of epilepsy. ... Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), also known as Lennox syndrome, is a difficult to treat form of childhood-onset epilepsy, that most often appears between the second and sixth year of life and is characterized by frequent seizures and different seizure types and is often accompanied by mental retardation and behavior... West syndrome, otherwise known as infantile spasms, is an uncommon to rare and serious form of epilepsy in infants. ... Epilepsia partialis continua is a rare type of recurrent motor epileptic seizures that are focal (hands and face), and recur every few seconds or minutes for extended periods (days or years). ... Complex Partial Status Epilepticus (CPSE) is one of the non-convulsive forms of Status epilepticus, a rare form of epilepsy defined by its recurrent nature. ... A headache (cephalgia in medical terminology) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. ... Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is an autosomal dominant classical migraine subtype that typically includes hemiparesis (weakness of half the body) during the aura phase. ... Cluster headaches are rare, extremely painful and debilitating headaches that occur in groups or clusters. ... A vascular headache is a headache where blood vessel swelling or disturbance is causing the pain. ... Tension headaches, which were renamed tension-type headaches by the International Headache Society in 1988, are the most common type of primary headaches. ... A transient ischemic attack (TIA, often colloquially referred to as mini stroke) is caused by the temporary disturbance of blood supply to a restricted area of the brain, resulting in brief neurologic dysfunction that usually persists for less than 24 hours. ... Amaurosis fugax is a type of transient ischaemic attack (TIA). ... Transient global amnesia (TGA), is an anxiety-producing temporary loss of short-term memory. ... Cerebrovascular disease is damage to the blood vessels in the brain, resulting in a stroke. ... Middle cerebral artery syndrome is a condition where the blood supply from the middle cerebral artery is restricted, leading to a reduction of the function of the portions of the brain supplied by that vessel. ... Anterior cerebral artery syndrome is a condition where the blood supply from the anterior cerebral artery is restricted, leading to a reduction of the function of the portions of the brain supplied by that vessel. ... Posterior cerebral artery syndrome is a condition where the blood supply from the posterior cerebral artery is restricted, leading to a reduction of the function of the portions of the brain supplied by that vessel. ... Fovilles syndrome is caused by the blockage of the perforating branches of the basilar artery in the region of the brainstem known as the pons. ... Millard-Gubler syndrome is a syndrome of unilateral softening of the brain tissue arising from obstruction of the blood vessels of the pons, involving the sixth and seventh cranial nerves and fibers of the corticospinal tract, and is associated with paralysis of the abducens (including diplopia, internal strabismus, and loss... Lateral medullary syndrome (also called Wallenbergs syndrome) is a disease in which the patient has difficulty with swallowing or speaking or both owing to one or more patches of dead tissue (known as an infarct) caused by interrupted blood supply to parts of the brain. ... Webers Syndrome (superior alternating hemiplegia) is characterized by the presence of an oculomotor nerve palsy and contralateral hemiparesis or hemiplegia. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... This article is about the sleeping disorder. ... Hypersomnia, also known as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), is excessive amount of sleepiness. ... Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. ... Ondines Curse, also called congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) or primary alveolar hypoventilation, is a respiratory disorder that is fatal if untreated. ... For other uses, see Narcolepsy (disambiguation). ... Cataplexy is a medical condition which often affects people who have narcolepsy, a disorder whose principal signs are EDS (Excessive Daytime Sleepiness), sleep attacks, and disturbed nighttime sleep. ... Kleine-Levin Syndrome, or KLS, is a rare sleep disorder characterized by episodes of near-constant sleep and altered behavior. ... Circadian rhythm sleep disorders are a family of sleep disorders affecting the timing of sleep. ... Delayed sleep-phase syndrome (DSPS) is a chronic disorder of sleep timing. ... Advanced sleep phase syndrome (ASPS) is a sleep disorder in which patients feel very sleepy early in the evening (e. ... Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), sometimes called benign intracranial hypertension (BIH) or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure (ICP), in the absence of a tumor or other intracranial pathology. ... Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a chronic type of communicating hydrocephalus whereby the increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) due to accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) becomes stable and that the formation of CSF equilibrates with absorption. ... Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), sometimes called benign intracranial hypertension (BIH) or pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure (ICP), in the absence of a tumor or other intracranial pathology. ... Encephalopathy literally means disease of the brain. ... Herniation, a deadly side effect of very high intracranial pressure, occurs when the brain shifts across structures within the skull. ... Cerebral edema (cerebral oedema in British English) is an excess accumulation of water in the intra- and/or extracellular spaces of the brain. ... Reyes syndrome is a potentially fatal disease that causes numerous detrimental effects to many organs, especially the brain and liver. ... An uncollapsed syrinx (before surgery). ... Syringobulbia is a medical condition when syrinxes, or fluid filled cavities, affect the brainstem. ... Spinal cord compression develops when the spinal cord is compressed by a tumor, abscess or other lesion. ...