Restless Legs Syndrome Prevalence and Impact

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological sensorimotor disorder¹ characterized by the following 4 diagnostic criteria: an urge to move that is usually associated with abnormal sensations in the legs, and symptoms that are engendered or worsened by rest, relieved by movement, and most severe at night.^2,3 Although the condition was probably first described in the 17th century,⁴ the pioneering clinical studies were carried out in the 1940s by Ekbom,⁵ who recognized the adverse effects of RLS on sleep and daytime functioning. (Restless legs syndrome is sometimes referred to as Ekbom syndrome.) More recently, research has shown that RLS negatively affects sleep,⁶ cognitive function,⁷ and quality of life.⁸