Idiopathic restless legs syndrome: Abnormalities in central somatosensory processing

Objectives: Neurophysiological studies showed an impairment of temperature perception in secondary and idiopathic RLS. It is unclear if these deficits are caused by peripheral nerve fibre damage or by central impairment of somatosensory processing. The aim of the present study was (1) to determine the frequency of thermal hypoaesthesia in a large population of secondary and idiopathic RLS patients; (2) to differentiate between a peripheral and central disturbance of somatosensory processing and (3) to correlate these findings with the clinical manifestation of the disease. Methods: Due to the results of clinical…