Restless legs syndrome in paediatric patients with epilepsy

Introduction Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological condition with defined clinical criteria. The prevalence of RLS in children is around 2%-4%; as patients approach adulthood, prevalence increases. The prevalence of RLS in paediatric patients with epilepsy is unknown. Material and methods Four Madrid hospitals participated in the study (Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Hospital Universitario Niño Jesús, Hospital Universitario Villalba, and Hospital Universitario Infanta Sofía). The researchers developed a prospective observational study of a cohort of patients with epilepsy under follow-up at paediatric neurology consultations. The data were collected in the department of paediatric neurology. The data collection schedule was established between December 2020 and March 2023. Results Data were obtained from 117 patients (56% male). The age range was from 4 to 17 years (mean age, 10.3 years). Twenty patients (17.1%) met criteria for RLS, 5 (4.3%) met clinical criteria for possible RLS, and 39 (33.9%) reported insomnia. Sleep onset insomnia was present in 21 patients (18.1%), sleep maintenance insomnia in 8 patients (6.9%), and both types in 6 (5.2%). Insomnia was associated with RLS ( P = .041) Conclusions In our sample, we observed a higher percentage of RLS among paediatric patients with epilepsy than in the general paediatric population. More studies are needed to confirm this finding.