title: The low prevalence of primary restless legs syndrome in Thai Parkinson's disease patients at Chulalongkorn University Hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There have been many studies of the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Some studies found a lower prevalence than in comparable groups in the general population while others reported more RLS. The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of primary RLS in Thai PD patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  PD patients were interviewed for RLS symptoms and were excluded if they had a malignancy, endstage renal disease, neuropathy, a history of spinal cord diseases or were pregnant. Serum ferritin levels were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three out of 183 patients interviewed (1.6%) had symptoms consistent with RLS. When one patient who had a serum ferritin level of 31.9 ng/ml is excluded, the prevalence falls to 0.98%. None of the following variables were significantly different in patients with and without RLS: age, gender age at onset of PD, duration of PD, Hoehn and Yahr stage, serum ferritin level and dose and duration of dopaminergic medication. None of the patients who have had subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (n = 5) had RLS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of RLS in Thai PD patients was found to be much lower than in most of the previous studies, especially those conducted in Europe and America.
authors.affiliation: Chulalongkorn Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders Center of Excellence, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jagota
authors.forename: Thanin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asawavichienjinda
authors.forename: Roongroj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhidayasiri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D005293:Ferritins