ABSTRACT
The pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome (RLS) remains unknown. Originally, the peripheral location of the symptoms suggested a peripheral origin of RLS, but the results of research in recent years point towards a central nervous system dysfunction. It is likely that RLS occurs from a complex interaction of peripheral and central nervous system factors. A range of pharmacologic, neurophysiologic, circadian, genetic and functional imaging studies have contributed to an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of RLS.
