Study of the Frequency and Characteristics of Pain Symptoms in Restless Legs Syndrome

Overview

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder affecting between 4% and 29% of adults. It is characterized by an urge to move the legs or other parts of the body, often accompanied by unpleasant and sometimes painful sensations. The pathophysiology of RLS, whether associated with pain or not, remains poorly understood, and only a limited number of studies have specifically investigated this aspect. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of the painful component of symptoms in a large cohort of patients with RLS, to further characterize its clinical features, and to assess its impact on patients' quality of life. This work could improve the identification of patients experiencing pain, enhance our understanding of pain characteristics in RLS, and help optimize patient management. Furthermore, in the context of emerging therapeutic approaches such as neuromodulation, a better characterization of pain in RLS may contribute to the development and evaluation of new treatment strategies. This is particularly relevant given the high prevalence of RLS and its substantial impact on patients' quality of life. Participants will be recruited either through their neurologist during routine follow-up visits at the Neurology Department of Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital or through the France Ekbom Association. Individuals interested in participating will be provided with access to the online questionnaire via a QR code or a dedicated web link. One thousand patients will be include in this study (RIPH type 3). The online questionnaire is expected to take approximately 30 minutes to complete. It includes the collection of demographic data (age, sex, lifestyle factors, weight, height, employment status, comorbidities, and dietary habits), as well as questions regarding the patient's medical history and sleep habits. The questionnaire also includes validated instruments assessing sleep, pain, RLS severity, anxiety and depression, and quality of life. At the end of the questionnaire, participants will be invited to take part in an optional ancillary study aimed at validating the French translation of the Restless Legs Syndrome Quality of Life questionnaire (RLS-QOL). Participants who agree to participate will complete the questionnaire once at baseline and will subsequently receive an email reminder to complete it a second time two weeks later. This test-retest procedure will be used to assess the reproducibility of the French-adapted version of the questionnaire.