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CompletedNCT00074672Updated Jul 2, 2017

Relationship Between Sensory and Motor Systems in Restless Leg Syndrome

An observational study in Restless Legs Syndrome, sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 80 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2017-07-02.

Sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) · Observational

Study type
Observational
Enrollment
45
Ages
18 Years to 80 Years
Sex
All
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Study summary

This study will explore what occurs between sensory and motor systems in restless legs syndrome (RLS). Patients with RLS have uncomfortable sensations in the legs, usually in the evening or early part of the night. Most patients also have periodic involuntary leg movements. The condition tends to worsen over time, resulting in severe discomfort and sleep disturbances.

Healthy normal volunteers and patients with RLS between 18 and 80 years of age may be eligible for this study. All candidates will be screened with a medical history, physical and neurological evaluations, electroymogram (measure of muscle activity), overnight sleep study, electrocardiogram (ECG, measurement of the electrical activity of the heart), and blood and urine tests. They may also have brain or spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans and a chest X-ray. Participants must stop taking all medications prohibited by the study for 2 days or more before the study starts and throughout its duration.

Participants will undergo prepulse inhibition tests to assess nervous system function. The participant sits comfortably in a quiet room. Several cables are attached to the face and legs using a special cream that conducts electrical signals through the cables to recording equipment. Nervous system activity is evaluated while the subject is at rest and after sensory stimulation (stimulating the nerves in the legs and face with a very brief electrical current of mild to moderate intensity). At times, the subject receives a short, mild sound stimulation delivered through earphones. The testing session takes 4 to 6 hours.

Read the detailed description

Background - Restless leg syndrome (RLS), a condition affecting millions of Americans, is characterized by uncomfortable sensory symptoms relived by voluntary or involuntary movements. Objectives -To test our hypothesis that sensorimotor gating is deficient in RLS. Methods - In a controlled proof-of-principle clinical study, sensorimotor gating will be assessed through the use of validated electrophysiological tests of prepulse inhibition, in 17 adult patients with RLS and 17 matched healthy controls. Risks and benefits -Risks involved in this study are minimal, and deemed reasonable in relation to potential benefits. This investigation will lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of RLS.

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Conditions studied

  • Restless Legs Syndrome

Keywords

  • Prepulse Inhibition
  • PPI
  • Dopamine
  • Sensorimotor Integration
  • Dopaminergic
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In context

Psychomotor Agitation

500 studies on the registry are indexed under Psychomotor Agitation; 55 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 45 is below the median of 154 across 71 observational studies indexed under Psychomotor Agitation.

Browse Psychomotor Agitation studies →

Lead sponsor

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is the lead sponsor of 592 studies on the registry; 56 are open to participants now.

Of its 18 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 8 (44%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 80 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

Subjects who meet all of the following inclusion criteria at screening will be eligible to participate in the study:

  1. Male or female subjects aged 18 to 80.
  2. For patients only, diagnosed with primary RLS based on the presence of a characteristic clinical history and the IRLSSG diagnostic criteria.
  3. Normal physical and neurological examination.
  4. Subject is willing to adhere to protocol requirements as evidenced by written, informed consent.
  5. No clinically significant abnormalities on clinical chemistry or hematology examination at the pre-study medical evaluation.
  6. Negative pre-study urine drug screen.

Exclusion criteria

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

Subjects meeting any of the following exclusion criteria will not be enrolled or will be immediately excluded from the study, as appropriate:

  1. History of any medical condition that can reasonably be expected to compromise scientific integrity of the study;
  2. Patient unwilling or unable to stop their usual mediations for RLS;
  3. Subjects unable or unwilling to discontinue a prohibited concomitant medication
  4. Subjects unwilling to sign an informed consent or to comply with protocol requirements.
  5. Subjects with clinical and/or biological evidence of secondary RLS (e.g. renal failure (end-stage renal disease), iron deficient, anaemia or pregnancy at baseline).
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Study design

Enrollment
45 participants
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Study locations

1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, 9000 Rockville Pike
    Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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References and documents

Publications

  • Walters AS. Toward a better definition of the restless legs syndrome. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Mov Disord. 1995 Sep;10(5):634-42. doi: 10.1002/mds.870100517. PubMed 8552117 ↗
  • Silber MH. Restless legs syndrome. Mayo Clin Proc. 1997 Mar;72(3):261-4. doi: 10.4065/72.3.261. PubMed 9070203 ↗
  • Ondo W, Jankovic J. Restless legs syndrome: clinicoetiologic correlates. Neurology. 1996 Dec;47(6):1435-41. doi: 10.1212/wnl.47.6.1435. PubMed 8960723 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 2, 2017, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT00074672
Lead sponsor
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
First posted
Dec 18, 2003
Start date
Dec 12, 2003
Completion
Apr 14, 2009
Last update
Jul 2, 2017
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Apr 2009. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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