Abstract
Introduction
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) and their overlap in a large population of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to compare clinical and paraclinical findings between patients with and without RLS/PLMS.
Methods
In this cross–sectional, observational, instrumental study, eighty-six patients (M/F: 27/59; mean age 48.0 ± 10.8 years) with a diagnosis of MS underwent a structured telephone interview assessing the five standard diagnostic criteria for RLS. Seventy-six participants underwent Video-polysomnography and Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT). Instrumental and clinical findings were subsequently statistically compared to investigate their association with RLS and PLMS index (PLMSI).
Results
RLS and PLMS (PLMSI ≥15/h) prevalence in patients with MS was of 31.4% and 31.6% respectively. Among patients with RLS, 37.5% had a PLMSI ≥15/h. In the group with PLMS, 37.5% met all diagnostic criteria for RLS. No differences were found between patients with and without RLS (F = 0.99, p = 0.45), and between patients with and without a PLMSI ≥15/hour (F = 0.32 p = 0.94) on the pool of clinical and instrumental variables.
Conclusion
RLS is highly prevalent and severe in patients with MS. The prevalence of PLMS is comparable to the general population. The low percentage of patients with RLS having a high PLMSI, together with the absence of correlation between RLS and female gender and older age, support the existence of a distinct symptomatic form of RLS in MS.
Support (if any):
Comparing Diagnostic Criteria for the Diagnosis of Neurocognitive Disorders in Multiple Sclerosis
