Restless Leg Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease Pathophysiology.
Richard P Allen
Review
Sleep medicine clinics
2015
158 citations
Study Design
- Study Type
- Review
- Population
- Patients with restless leg syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease
- Intervention
- Restless Leg Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease Pathophysiology.
- Comparator
- None
- Primary Outcome
- Pathophysiology of restless leg syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease
- Effect Direction
- Neutral
- Risk of Bias
- Unclear
Abstract
Restless leg syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease has brain iron deficiency that produces excessive dopamine and known genetic risks, some of which contribute to the brain iron deficiency. Dopamine treatments work temporarily but may eventually produce further postsynaptic down-regulation and worse restless leg syndrome. This article includes sections focused on pathophysiologic findings from each of these areas: genetics, cortical-spinal excitability, and iron and dopamine.
TL;DR
Part of this article includes sections focused on pathophysiologic findings from each of these areas: genetics, cortical-spinal excitability, and iron and dopamine.