title: Review of diagnostic instruments for the restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED): critique and recommendations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Over the last decade, increased research on therapy, pathogenesis, epidemiological and genetic aspects of restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED) has necessitated development of diagnostic instruments specific to RLS. The Movement Disorder Society commissioned a task force to formally evaluate the available evidence on diagnostic instruments in RLS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search identified 4 instruments specific to RLS. Each instrument was evaluated by 3 criteria, which included (a) use in RLS, (b) use by groups other than the group that developed the instrument, and (c) formal validation and adequate clinimetric properties. Instruments were then qualified as "Recommended" when all 3 criteria were met, "Suggested" when used for RLS but only one of the other criteria are met, and "Listed" when used in RLS but there is absence of the other 2 criteria. Details regarding the development, use, and clinimetric properties of each instrument are summarized, along with the recommendations of the committee.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Recommended diagnostic instruments are the Hening Telephone Diagnostic Interview (HTDI), the Cambridge-Hopkins diagnostic questionnaire for RLS (CH-RLSq), and the RLS Diagnostic Index (RLS-DI). An unmet need is the development of a diagnostic instrument for pediatric RLS. Diagnostic instruments are particularly useful in studies where patients are not personally interviewed or examined in the office setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Arthur S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frauscher
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Research and Sleep Medicine, Schwerin, Germany and University of Rostock, Department of Neurology, Rostock, Germany.
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benes
authors.affiliation: National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence, Kings College, London, UK.
authors.forename: K Ray
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
authors.affiliation: Sleep Research Institute, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Garcia-Borreguero
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT.
authors.forename: Hochang B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois School of Medicine and Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, IL.
authors.forename: Daniel L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Picchietti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Trenkwalder
authors.affiliation: National Center of Epidemiology and CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martinez-Martin
authors.affiliation: Department Neurological Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Glenn T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Stebbins
authors.affiliation: UCL Institute of Neurology, University College, London, UK.
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schrag
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Willis-Ekbom Disease; diagnostic instruments; restless legs syndrome