title: Anticonvulsants to treat idiopathic restless legs syndrome: systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensory motor disorder characterized by a distressing urge to move the legs and sometimes also other parts of the body usually accompanied by a marked sense of discomfort or pain in the leg or other affected body part. Many treatments have been used to minimize the discomfort of the disease, among them the anticonvulsant therapy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anticonvulsant treatment for idiopathic RLS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of randomized or quasi-randomized, double blind trials on anticonvulsant treatment for RLS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  relief of RLS symptoms, subjective and objective sleep quality, quality of life, and adverse events associated with the treatments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 231 patients were randomized in three cross over studies and one parallel study. Three studies with carbamazepine, one with sodium valproate, and one with gabapentin, and they were very heterogeneous so we could not perform a meta-analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no scientific evidence on RLS treatment with anticonvulsants for clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine and Evidence Based Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane Fiquene
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.forename: Márcio Moysés de
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Juliana Spelta
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Valbuza
authors.forename: Lucila Bizari F
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Prado
authors.forename: Luciane Bizari Coin de
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Gilmar Fernandes do
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Prado
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D000077206:Gabapentin; D006801:Humans; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D000927:Anticonvulsants; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D002220:Carbamazepine; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D014635:Valproic Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin