title: Dopa responsive insomnia: a forme fruste or precursor of restless legs syndrome?
abstract: Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a movement disorder that has a profound impact on sleep, and sleep disturbances are considered as the primary morbidity for seeking treatment in most patients. However, isolated sleep has not been described as a symptom of RLS. Low dose dopaminergic agonists are considered for the treatment in patients with RLS. Herein, we describe 7 patients with isolated insomnia in whom insomnia responded to low dose levo-dopa. Six of them had a family history of RLS. We discuss a possibility of RLS in these patients and suggest to take a trial of l-dopa in patients with isolated insomnia who has a positive family history of RLS or in a patient who do not show response to usual therapies for RLS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical College, SSG Hospital, Baroda, Gujarat, 390001, India. drprakashs@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prakash
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007980:Levodopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D007980:Levodopa