title: Clinical efficacy of ropinirole for restless legs syndrome is not affected by age at symptom onset.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether clinical response to the dopamine agonist, ropinirole, in the treatment of primary restless legs syndrome (RLS), depends upon the age-at-onset of RLS symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pooled data from four 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of ropinirole in patients with moderate-to-severe primary RLS were analyzed post hoc. The relationship between age-at-onset and response to treatment, based on change from the baseline International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) rating scale (the International Restless Legs Scale [IRLS]) total score and the proportion of responders (rated 'much'/'very much' improved) on the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale, was explored.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The range of age-at-onset of RLS symptoms was 2-75 years. No relationship was observed between the age-at-onset of RLS symptoms and baseline IRLS total score (correlation r=-0.06), and between dose administered at Week 12 last observation carried forward (LOCF) and age-at-onset (r=-0.04). The age-at-onset by treatment interaction was non-significant (P=0.952 for the IRLS and P=0.716 for the CGI-I scale), indicating there was no significant relationship between age-at-onset and the magnitude of ropinirole treatment effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that ropinirole provides effective relief of symptoms, regardless of age at RLS symptom onset.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Neurology and Sleep Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. RichardJHU@mac.com
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Sally Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ritchie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D007211:Indoles; C046649:ropinirole