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Impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, and quality of life

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International Journal of Colorectal Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Inflammatory bowel disease has been associated with neurological symptoms including restless legs syndrome. Here, we investigated the impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, mood, cognition, and quality of life.

Methods

Two groups of inflammatory bowel disease patients, with and without restless legs syndrome, were prospectively evaluated for sleep disorders, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. Furthermore, global cognitive function, executive function, attention, and concentration were assessed in both groups. Disease activity and duration of inflammatory bowel disease as well as current medication were assessed by interview. Inflammatory bowel disease patients with and without restless legs syndrome were matched for age, education, severity, and duration of their inflammatory bowel disease.

Results

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and clinically relevant restless leg syndrome suffered significantly more frequent from sleep disturbances including sleep latency and duration, more fatigue, and worse health-related quality of life as compared to inflammatory bowel disease patients without restless legs syndrome. Affect and cognitive function including cognitive flexibility, attention, and concentration showed no significant differences among groups, indicating to be not related to restless legs syndrome.

Conclusions

Sleep disorders including longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, and fatigue are characteristic symptoms of restless legs syndrome in inflammatory bowel disease patients, resulting in worse health-related quality of life. Therefore, clinicians treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease should be alert for restless legs syndrome.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

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Correspondence to Katharina A. Schindlbeck.

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Funding

None.

Conference presentation

Congress of the German Society of Neurology (DGN), 09/2015, Düsseldorf Germany.

Conflict of interest

BS served as consultant for Abbvie, Falk, Janssen, Hospira, Merck, MSD, Mundipharma, and Takeda and received lecture fees from Abbvie, Falk, Ferring, Hospira, MSD, and Takeda. JP has received consulting fees from MSD and Takeda and well as lecture fees from Abbvie, Pfizer, Vifor, Falk, MSD, and Takeda. JM has received consulting fees from MSD and lecture fees and travel accommodations from Abbvie, Falk Foundation, Janssen, MSD, Mundipharma, and Takeda. All remaining authors report no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Jochen Maul and Frank Marzinzik contributed equally to this work.

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Schindlbeck, K.A., Becker, J., Berger, F. et al. Impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, and quality of life. Int J Colorectal Dis 32, 125–130 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-016-2681-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-016-2681-8

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