title: Nocturnal urinary dopamine excretion is reduced in otherwise healthy subjects with periodic leg movements in sleep.
abstract: The pathophysiology of periodic leg movements (PLMs) in sleep remains to be elucidated. Among other hypotheses an alteration of dopaminergic function has been suggested. Nocturnal urinary dopamine and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenylacetic acid excretion in otherwise healthy subjects with PLMs was significantly reduced (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) compared to subjects without PLMs. This finding, for the first time, demonstrates a correlate of a functionally relevant hypoactivity of the dopaminergic system in subjects with PLMs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, von-Siebold Strasse 5, D-37075 Göttingen, Germany. scohrs@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cohrs
authors.forename: Zhenghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pohlmann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pilz
authors.forename: Eckart
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rüther
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodenbeck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D004298:Dopamine / Q000652:urine*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D006719:Homovanillic Acid / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020189:Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome / Q000652:urine*; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine; D006719:Homovanillic Acid