Volume 10, Issue 5 p. 634-642
Article

Toward a better definition of the restless legs syndrome

Dr. Arthur S. Walters

Corresponding Author

Dr. Arthur S. Walters

Group Organizer and Correspondent

The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group

Department of Neurology, CN 19, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, U.S.ASearch for more papers by this author
Michael S. Aldrich

Michael S. Aldrich

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A.

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Richard Allen

Richard Allen

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.

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Sonia Ancoli-Israel

Sonia Ancoli-Israel

University of California at San Diego and VAMC, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

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David Buchholz

David Buchholz

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.

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Sudhansu Chokroverty

Sudhansu Chokroverty

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ and Lyons VA Medical Center, Lyons, NJ, U.S.A.

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Giorgio Coccagna

Giorgio Coccagna

Università di Bologna, Italy

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Christopher Earley

Christopher Earley

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A.

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Bruce Ehrenberg

Bruce Ehrenberg

Tufts New England Medical Center, Boston, MA, U.S.A.

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T. G. Feest

T. G. Feest

Southmead General Hospital, Bristol, England

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Wayne Hening

Wayne Hening

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ and Lyons VA Medical Center, Lyons, NJ, U.S.A.

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Neil Kavey

Neil Kavey

Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York City, NY, U.S.A.

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Gilles Lavigne

Gilles Lavigne

Université de Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Joseph Lipinski

Joseph Lipinski

University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA, U.S.A.

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Elio Lugaresi

Elio Lugaresi

Università di Bologna, Italy

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Pasquale Montagna

Pasquale Montagna

Università di Bologna, Italy

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Jacques Montplaisir

Jacques Montplaisir

Université de Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Sarah S. Mosko

Sarah S. Mosko

St Joseph Hospital, Orange, CA, U.S.A.

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Wolfgang Oertel

Wolfgang Oertel

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany

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Daniel Picchietti

Daniel Picchietti

Carle Clinic, Urbana, IL, U.S.A.

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Thomas Pollmächer

Thomas Pollmächer

Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany

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Renata Shafor

Renata Shafor

San Diego Sleep Disorders Center and Harbor View Medical Center, San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

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Robert C. Smith

Robert C. Smith

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, U.S.A.

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Wenche Telstad

Wenche Telstad

Forde, Norway

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Claudia Trenkwalder

Claudia Trenkwalder

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Munich, Germany

Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany

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Christian von Scheele

Christian von Scheele

Östersund Hospital, Sweden

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Arthur S. Walters

Arthur S. Walters

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ and Lyons VA Medical Center, Lyons, NJ, U.S.A.

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J. Catesby Ware

J. Catesby Ware

Eastern Virginia Medical School and Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

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Marco Zucconi

Marco Zucconi

Sleep Center H San Raffaele, Milano, Italy

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First published: September 1995
Citations: 839

Abstract

A large International Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) Study Group has been formed. As its first task, the group has taken upon itself the role of definig the clinical features of the RLS. As minimal criteria for diagnosis, the group proposes the following four features: (a) desire to move the extremities, often associated with paresthesias/dysesthesias; (b) motor restlessness; (c) worsening of symptoms at rest with at least temporary relief by activity, and (d) worsening of symptoms in the evening or night. Other features commonly seen in RLS include sleep disturbance, periodic limb movements in sleep and similar involuntary movements while awake, a normal neurological examination in the idiopathic from, a tendency for the symptoms to be worse in middle to older age, and, in some cases, a family history suggestive of an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance.