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The Motor System and Narcolepsy: Periodic Leg Movements and Restless Legs Syndrome

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Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder with the cardinal symptoms consisting of an urge to move the legs because of unpleasant sensations, appearing during rest or inactivity, worsening at evening or during the night, which are partially or totally recovered by movement [1]. Depending on the severity and frequency of the symptoms, RLS is often associated with insomnia and an impairment of quality of life [2]. Periodic leg movements (PLM) during sleep may be observed in more than 80% of RLS patients [3]. The pathogenesis of RLS is still unknown, but there are several pieces of evidence that advert to a possible dysfunction of descending dopaminergic neurons from the hypothalamic A11 region to the intermediolateral and dorsal spinal gray matter [4].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Sleep Disorders Center, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy

    Luigi Ferini-Strambi

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  1. Luigi Ferini-Strambi
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Correspondence to Luigi Ferini-Strambi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Zurich, Frauenklinikstrasse 26, Zurich, 8091, Switzerland

    Christian R. Baumann

  2. Neurocenter EOC of Southern Switzerland, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Via Tesserete 46, Lugano, 6903, Switzerland

    Claudio L. Bassetti

  3. and Harvard Medical School, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, 02215, Massachusetts, USA

    Thomas E. Scammell

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Ferini-Strambi, L. (2011). The Motor System and Narcolepsy: Periodic Leg Movements and Restless Legs Syndrome. In: Baumann, C., Bassetti, C., Scammell, T. (eds) Narcolepsy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8390-9_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8390-9_28

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