title: Is daytime sleepiness a neglected problem in patients with restless legs syndrome?
abstract: The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder of sleep/wake motor regulation that is associated with sleep disturbances. Here, we review the evidence that RLS is also associated with increased daytime sleepiness. Summarizing 26 studies that assessed sleepiness by means of the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in untreated subjects with idiopathic RLS, we found that 20 to 25% of subjects are at an increased risk for daytime sleepiness.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephany
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fulda
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Wetter
mesh_terms: D005221:Fatigue / Q000145:classification / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*