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Six patients,with restless legs syndrome(RLS)and periodic movements during sleep(PMS)received placebo or L-dopa in a double-blind study.We recorded patients for 36 consecutive hours in the sleep laboratory during a baseline investigation and at the end of each treatment period.Daily evening questionnaires and a suggested immobilization test(SIT)performed at bedtime on each recording night documented the effect of L-dopa in RLS. A nocturnal EMG recording of the anterior tibialis muscles revealed the effect of L-dopa on PMS.L-Dopa proved effective in treating both RLS and PMS.Although not present in every patient,leg movements recorded during the SIT exhibited a clear periodicity.These observations support the hypothesis that RLS and PMS are two manifestations of the same central sensorimotor disorder. |
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