Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep Related Movement Disorders.

Abstract

cl in ic s. co m This issue of Sleep Medicine Clinics highlights the current understanding of Restless Legs Syndrome/Willis-Ekbom Disease (RLS/WED), sleep bruxism, leg cramps, and hypnic jerks—all part of sleep-related movement disorders. These pathologic entities are characterized by simple, usually stereotyped movements that interfere with the ability to achieve or maintain sleep. As such, their diagnosis and management may fall between the cracks of specializedmedicine. Frequently, patients transition between primary care, neurology or movement specialists, and sleep medicine and pain specialists. These transitions prolong the time elapsed between the initial symptoms and the diagnosis, sometimes up to 12 years, as mentioned in the article by Simakajornboon, Dye, andWalters onRLS/WEDandgrowingpains in children and adolescents. RLS is included with sleep-related movement disorders but might be also considered as an exception to this category. RLS is not diagnosed during sleep, but it can affect sleep. The patient typically engages in walking or nonstereotyped movements to ease the urge to move the legs, arms, or other body parts. The name itself has been an issue of debate lately. Karl-Axel Ekbom coined the expression of restless legs in his doctoral thesis in 1945 when he described the movement disorder as we know it today. However, arms or other body partsmay presentwith similar symptoms. Therefore, even though the symptoms typically start in the legs, it is not all