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Recent advances in the diagnosis, genetics and treatment of restless legs syndrome

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Abstract

Knowledge of restless legs syndrome (RLS) has greatly increased in recent years due to the many advances that have been made in diagnosis, management and genetics. Tools have been developed that facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of RLS, in particular the essential diagnostic criteria for RLS have been refined, severity scales (IRLS, RLS-6, JHSS) have been developed, as have instruments that improve diagnostic accuracy and assess for specific aspects of RLS such as augmentation. These newly developed tools have been used in recent population-based studies, which have provided a greater understanding of the epidemiology of RLS, and also within patient-based trials.

As far as the genetics of RLS is concerned, linkage studies in RLS families have revealed eight loci but no causally related sequence variant has yet been identified using this approach. Recent genome-wide association studies have identified variants within intronic or intergenic regions of MEIS1, BTBD9, and MAP2K5/LBXCOR1, and PTPRD, raising new pathological hypotheses for RLS. An overview on therapeutic options and recent trials is given based on evidence-based management strategies for this common disorder.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paracelsus-Elena Hospital, Center of Parkinsonism and Movement Disorders, Klinikstr. 16, 34128, Kassel, Germany

    Claudia Trenkwalder MD

  2. Dept. of Neurology, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Birgit Högl MD

  3. Klinik für Neurologie und Institut für Humangenetik, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München (TUM), Munich, Germany

    Juliane Winkelmann

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  1. Claudia Trenkwalder MD
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  2. Birgit Högl MD
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  3. Juliane Winkelmann
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Correspondence to Claudia Trenkwalder MD.

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Trenkwalder, C., Högl, B. & Winkelmann, J. Recent advances in the diagnosis, genetics and treatment of restless legs syndrome. J Neurol 256, 539–553 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-009-0134-9

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