Restless legs syndrome in Parkinson's disease: clinical characteristics and biochemical correlations.
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that responds to dopaminergic drugs, indicating a common pathophysiology with Parkinson's disease (PD). The prevalence of RLS was estimated in a group of PD patients and its clinical and biochemical characteristics were analysed. Forty-eight patients with PD were evaluated into two groups, with and without RLS. Clinical characteristics assessed in both groups were age, gender, duration of PD, Hoehn and Yahr, and Schwab and England scales. Laboratory variables such as hemoglobin, s-iron, s-ferritin and creatinine were obtained. The prevalence of RLS was 18.75%. No significant differences regarding clinical variables and biochemical parameters were observed. The high prevalence of RLS found in PD patients suggests the concept of a common etiological link and it seems that secondary causes did not play a central role in the pathophysiology of RLS in this group of parkinsonian patients.
Federal University of Sergipe, Aracaju SE, Brazil.
Tiago Machado
TM
Guerreiro
Danilo Ryuko Cândido
DR
Nishikawa
Lis Campos
LC
Ferreira
Hyder Aragão de
HA
Melo
Roberto César Pereira do
RC
Prado
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D006454:Hemoglobins; D014508:Urea; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron