title: Algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of restless legs syndrome in primary care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder with a lifetime prevalence of 3-10%. in European studies. However, the diagnosis of RLS in primary care remains low and mistreatment is common.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current article reports on the considerations of RLS diagnosis and management that were made during a European Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (EURLSSG)-sponsored task force consisting of experts and primary care practitioners. The task force sought to develop a better understanding of barriers to diagnosis in primary care practice and overcome these barriers with diagnostic and treatment algorithms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The barriers to diagnosis identified by the task force include the presentation of symptoms, the language used to describe them, the actual term "restless legs syndrome" and difficulties in the differential diagnosis of RLS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The EURLSSG task force reached a consensus and agreed on the diagnostic and treatment algorithms published here.
authors.affiliation: Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain. dgb.eurlssg@gmail.com
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia-Borreguero
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stillman
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benes
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Buschmann
authors.forename: K Ray
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Rodríguez
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Högl
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kohnen
authors.forename: Giorgio Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stiasny-Kolster
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trenkwalder
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zucconi
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees; D000465:Algorithms; D003245:Consensus Statements as Topic; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires