Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is the disorder that causes burning, itching, crawling sensations in the legs and the victim feels a need to move the limbs to seek relief. Of course, this disrupts sleep and can eventually cause sleep deprivation.
ADHD is characterized by inattention, restlessness, distractibility and impulsiveness. A recent study found a high number of patients with RLS also soffered from the symptoms of ADHD.
"The leg discomfort from RLS could cause people to be more hyperactive and distractible," said study author Mary L. Wagner, Pharm.D., of Rutgers University in Piscataway, NJ . "And being tired from having your sleep disrupted could cause people to be more inattentive. But it's not proven that having RLS leads to having ADHD. It could be that these disorders simply appear together frequently -- they may be genetically linked."
It's also possible that both disorders are caused by a lack of dopamine in the brain. Several RLS medications including Parlodel, Permax, Mirapex, Requip, and Symmeprel are dopamine agonists which simply means they bind to dopamine receptors, producing dopamine-like effects. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, studies have implicated a number of dopaminergic and noradrenergic genes in ADHD.
A lack of dopamine can leave patients unable to control their movements normally. Evidence for this theory is that both disorders respond well to drugs that promote dopamine action in the brain. This is still only a theory and in need of further studies, but it seems the risk of contracting ADHD or RLS is greater in people who have either of these disorders in the family history.
3% to 8% of the population of the United States is afflicted with restless legs syndrome. It often goes undiagnosed and there isn't much help available for it. Recent drugs seem to offer some relief. Pramipexole (Mirapex) has offered has proven effective in many cases. A press release from Emory University suggested that "that low-dose ropinirole is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for RLS." Research continues. Hopefully it will result in a safe, complete cure for this common condition.
