title: Evaluation of neurodegeneration through visual evoked potentials in restless legs syndrome.
abstract: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a disease characterized by some type of dysesthesia, an indescribable abnormal sensation in the extremities. Our objective was to determine whether the visual evoked potentials (VEP) can be used as a quantitative monitoring method to evaluate demyelination-remyelination and neurodegeneration in the patients with RLS. The present study was carried out prospectively. It was planned to determine normal or pathological conditions in the form of increased latency or decreased amplitude of VEP and to evaluate possible pathologies in the visual and retinal pathways at early stages and at months 3 and 6 of follow-up in the patients with RLS (with or without iron deficiency anemia), in those without RLS (at the time of diagnosis prior to any medical therapy) without any visual symptoms. It was observed that latency of VEP improved but didn't return to normal limits following treatment with dopamin agonists, iron, or combination of both and that there was no significant difference between the post-treatment data and those of the control group. These results in combination with the fact that the latencies and amplitudes didn't return to normal levels despite the 6-month-treatment but showed a progressive course with partial regeneration suggests that there was incomplete remyelination. It should be kept in mind that this syndrome is likely to be a part of neurodegenerative process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey. aysinkisabay@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ayşın
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kısabay
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ummu Serpil
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Sarı
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tuğba
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gönül
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dinçhorasan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hikmet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medicine Faculty, Celal Bayar University, 45000, Manisa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selçuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D007501:Iron
keywords: Dopamine; Latency; Restless legs syndrome (RLS); Visual evoked potentials (VEP)