Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep in the Elderly with and without Dementia.
There is great interest in the study of sleep in healthy and cognitively impaired elderly. Sleep disorders have been related to quality of aging. Sleep-related movements are a frequent cause of disordered sleep and daytime sleepiness. Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease (RLS/WED) is often unrecognized in the elderly. This review explores RLS/WED in the elderly population. The elderly population may be subdivided into 3 groups: healthy, dependent, and frail. The RLS/WED could be a predictor for lower physical function; its burden on quality of life and health care-related costs, in the elderly, should be an important clinical and public health concern.
Neurophysiology Unit, Sleep Disorder Center, University of Cagliari, SS554 Bivio Sestu, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy.
Michela
M
Figorilli
Neurophysiology Unit, Sleep Disorder Center, University of Cagliari, SS554 Bivio Sestu, Monserrato, Cagliari 09042, Italy.
Monica
M
Puligheddu
Department of Neurology I.C., Sleep Research Centre, Oasi Institute for Research on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging (IRCCS), Via C. Ruggero, 73, Troina 94018, Italy. Electronic address: rferri@oasi.en.it.
Raffaele
R
Ferri
D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020189:Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
Elderly; Restless legs syndrome; Sleep; Willis–Ekbom disease