title: High prevalence of restless legs syndrome in somatoform pain disorder.
abstract: Patients with somatoform pain often complain of sleep disorders, but sleep disorders are not an integrated part of the diagnosis of this disorder. Restless legs syndrome is associated with painful symptoms and sleep disturbances. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in somatoform pain disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study 100 consecutive patients (mean age: 46.4; SD: 11.4; women: 58) diagnosed with somatoform pain disorder (SPD) were clinically investigated for the occurrence of RLS at the behavioral medicine clinic for pain outpatients in the department of psychiatry within the Medical University of Vienna. The pain parameters of SPD were assessed using a pain questionnaire and visual analogue scales (VAS). The severity of RLS was established using the questionnaire of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of restless legs syndrome found in somatoform pain disorder was 42%. Interrupted sleep was found in 83.3% in somatoform pain disorder with comorbid RLS and in 64.1% in somatoform pain disorder without RLS. Patients with continuous somatoform pain had a significant higher occurrence of RLS (Sample: 55%; with RLS: 71.4% and without RLS: 43.1%). The pain parameters increased parallel to the severity of RLS. Additionally, RLS was associated with higher psychosocial disability in family life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of RLS is high in our sample of patients with somatoform pain disorder. There seems to be a difference in pain profile between patients with and without RLS. RLS may increase the pain level and prolong pain in somatoform pain disorder. RLS should be considered when a somatoform pain disorder is diagnosed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. martin.aigner@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aigner
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Prause
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freidl
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Shahriar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izadi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Saletu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology