ABSTRACT
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common sensory– motor disorder with a population prevalence of around 2%–10% that varies across studies. RLS has a close relationship with several neuropsychiatric disorders, although it is difficult to establish causality between them. The available literature suggests that considering its high prevalence along with psychiatric disorders, all such patients should be screened for the RLS. A number of psychiatric disorders have been reported to be associated with RLS among children and adults. Patients with RLS have been found to have a higher prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder during the symptomatic periods. The comorbid pain syndrome with RLS needs to be addressed separately, as a combination of these disorders has a different therapeutic and prognostic implication. RLS patients with sleep disorders leading to painful syndromes can have poor quality of life and secondary depression or other psychiatric problems.
