Restless legs syndrome in childhood and adolescence

TY - JOUR

T1 - Restless legs syndrome in childhood and adolescence

AU - Walters, Arthur S.

AU - Picchietti, Daniel L.

AU - Ehrenberg, Bruce L.

AU - Wagner, Mary L.

N1 - Funding Information: From the *Movement Disorder Group; Department of Neurology UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; New Brunswick, New Jersey and Neurology Service VAMC; Lyons, New Jersey; *Pediatric Neurology-Carle Sleep Clinic and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; Department of Neurology; Tufts New England Medical Center; Boston, Massachusetts; °College of Pharmacy; Rutgers University; Piscataway, New Jersey. This research was supported by a Veterans Administration Merit Review research grant to Dr. Waiters.

PY - 1994/10

Y1 - 1994/10

N2 - Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is believed to be a condition primarily of middle to older age. However, it can have its onset in childhood. Five illustrative case histories with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance are described. A mother and her 3 children (age: 6 1 2, 4, and 1 1 2 years) as well as a 16-year-old patient from a second family have typical RLS signs of leg discomfort (paresthesias) and motor restlessness prevalent at night and at rest, with temporary relief by activity. Polysomnography or videotaping revealed periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) and, in some cases, involuntary jerking of the legs was present during wakefulness as well. Clinicians should be aware that RLS can occur in childhood and adolescence and may be more common than heretofore recognized. "Growing pains" and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are in the differential diagnosis of RLS in childhood.

AB - Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is believed to be a condition primarily of middle to older age. However, it can have its onset in childhood. Five illustrative case histories with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance are described. A mother and her 3 children (age: 6 1 2, 4, and 1 1 2 years) as well as a 16-year-old patient from a second family have typical RLS signs of leg discomfort (paresthesias) and motor restlessness prevalent at night and at rest, with temporary relief by activity. Polysomnography or videotaping revealed periodic limb movements in sleep (PLMS) and, in some cases, involuntary jerking of the legs was present during wakefulness as well. Clinicians should be aware that RLS can occur in childhood and adolescence and may be more common than heretofore recognized. "Growing pains" and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are in the differential diagnosis of RLS in childhood.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028019333&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028019333&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/0887-8994(94)90110-4

DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/0887-8994(94)90110-4

M3 - Article

C2 - 7880339

SN - 0887-8994

VL - 11

SP - 241

EP - 245

JO - Pediatric Neurology

JF - Pediatric Neurology

IS - 3

ER -