title: Brainstem stroke-related restless legs syndrome: frequency and anatomical considerations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given the discordant results of studies that have reported cases of RLS associated with brainstem stroke and the absence of RLS in large series describing the clinical spectrum of brainstem infarctions, we decided to assess RLS in all patients admitted for brainstem stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients who were consecutively referred to the Strasbourg stroke unit for brainstem infarction were prospectively evaluated for RLS. The different parameters analyzed were the topography of the ischemic lesions (magnetic resonance imaging), the different symptoms (sensory, motor, cerebellar, cranial nerves and dysarthria) and the NIH stroke scale. Statistical analyses used the Bayesian paradigm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty patients have been included, and RLS was observed in three patients (10%). Two patients suffered from an exacerbation of symptoms anterior to the stroke, and the other patient a de novo, but transient, RLS. Patients with stroke-induced sensory symptoms have a higher risk to develop brainstem stroke-related RLS as compared to patients without sensory symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that RLS should be systematically screened in patients affected with brainstem stroke, especially in the case of stroke-induced sensory symptoms. Clinicians should be aware of this association, especially as efficient treatments are available and allow improving the management of patients affected with stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Sleep and Electrophysiology Clinic, Hôpital Civil, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruppert
authors.forename: Ulker
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kilic-Huck
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tatu
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: Juliette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chambe
authors.forename: Ludivine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robin-Choteau
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bataillard
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bourgin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D020526:Brain Stem Infarctions / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*