title: Restless legs syndrome in people affected by leprosy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is one of the most commonly encountered sleep disorders. The prevalence of RLS and its association'with leprosy have not previously been elucidated. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of RLS in people affected by leprosy and to determine the presence and amount of sleep disruption in leprosy affected people with RLS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Each leprosy-affected person was matched to two healthy controls for age and sex. A total of 236 leprosy-affected people who lived in Sorokdo and 472 healthy control subjects who lived in Namwon were included in this study. A diagnosis of RLS and a severity assessment were made using the criteria described by the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of RLS was significantly higher in people affected by leprosy (60/236; 25.4%) than in controls (42/472; 8.8%). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) global score was higher in leprosy-affected people than in controls. No significant difference was found between leprosy-affected people and controls with regard to the severity of RLS. Leprosy-affected people with RLS had a poorer sleep quality (higher PSQI global score) than those without RLS, but the Geriatric Depression Scale was not different between leprosy-affected people with RLS and those without RLS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of RLS among leprosy-affected people was significantly higher than that of RLS in the general population. Leprosy-affected people should be examined for RLS and treatment for RLS can potentially improve sleep.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seong-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Byeong C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sun-Seog
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Kweon
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Joon-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hye-Suk
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dong-Chan
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: O
authors.forename: Hyeon
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Myoung-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yong-Jun
authors.forename: Pil-Kyo
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hyung-Cheol
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012890:Sleep; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires