title: Unfavorable polysomnographic sleep patterns predict poor sleep and poor psychological functioning 3 years later in patients with restless legs syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amongst the variety of disorders affecting sleep, restless legs syndrome (RLS) merits particular attention. Little is known about long-term outcomes for sleep or psychological functioning following a diagnosis of RLS. The aim of the present study was thus to evaluate sleep and psychological functioning at a 3-year follow-up and based on polysomnographic measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients (18 female and 20 male patients; mean age: 56.06, SD = 12.07) with RLS and sleep electroencephalographic recordings were followed-up 33 months later. Participants completed a series of self-rating questionnaires related to sleep and psychological functioning. Additionally, they completed a sleep log for 7 consecutive days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, male gender, increased light sleep (S1, S2) and sleep onset latency, along with low sleep efficiency, predicted psychological functioning and sleep 33 months later. Specifically, sleep fragmentation predicted poor psychological functioning, and both sleep fragmentation and light sleep predicted poor sleep.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with RLS, irrespective of medication or duration of treatment, poor objective sleep patterns at diagnosis predicted both poor psychological functioning and poor sleep about 3 years after diagnosis. The pattern of results suggests the need for more thorough medical and psychotherapeutic treatment and monitoring of patients with RLS.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Basel, Depression Research Unit, Basel, Switzerland. serge.brand@upkbs.ch
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatzinger
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Savic
authors.forename: Edith
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Holsboer-Trachsler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D017286:Polysomnography; D011788:Quality of Life; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires