Restless Legs Syndrome In Post-acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence of post-actueischemic stroke RLS (restless legs syndrome), clinical characteristics, and theoutcome of stroke-related RLS. Offer new ideas for treatment.Methods: This study selected patients with acute ischemic stroke between2012may1stto2013may1st， According to IRLSSG and dopamine test, the patients whomet the Standard as the RLS group;Choosed the patients with similar situation (age、gender、location of lesion) as non-RLS group.All RLS group patients underwentpolysomnography examination and given pramipexole (25mg/times, once per night)for treatment. Analysised the location of lesion, risk factors, clinical features in RLSgroup and compared the prognosis and clinical features between the two groups.Results:275patients with acute ischemic stroke were studied. Nineteen patients(6.91%) met the diagnostic criteria for RLS. None of the cases had a previous medicaldiagnosis of RLS or were on use of specific medication. After asking aboutlateralization of RLS symptoms, most of the cases informed both legs suffered thesymptoms. The prevalence of RLS is quite different among the patients with differentlesion.Patients with RLS show Excessive daytime sleepiness (ESS>10) was presentin57.9%of RLS group compared with21.1%of non-RLS group and impaired sleep(PSQI>15) in47.4%of RLS group compared with15.8%of non-RLS group.In RLS group, the prevalence of moderate and severe PLMS is68.42%andOSAHS is47.37%. The patients with RLS had more severe stroke symptoms.Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) in different groups showed that90days after theacute ischemic stroke, patients with RLS showed significantly less improve thannon-RLS cases, as measured by the BI （P=0.03）。Less improvement was alsoobserved in RLS cases when compared to non-RLS cases, between the90days and180days after the stroke of assessment as measured by mRS (P=0.03).Conclusion: Pathogenesis of stroke related restless legs syndrome mayassociated with impairment of dopaminergic and central sensorimotor pathways.Patients with stroke-related RLS affact poor sleep quality and daytime sleepiness.