Sleep Breath. 2026 Feb 18;30(1):55. doi: 10.1007/s11325-026-03591-5.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Investigation of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in patients with poliomyelitis sequelae (PS) and the effect of RLS on pain, fatigue, sleep and quality of life (QoL).
METHOD: We investigated the presence of RLS in patients with PS who consecutively applied to the neurology outpatient clinic and did not have secondary causes of RLS. Gender, age, side affected by PS, leg muscle strength and length, International RLS Study Group criteria, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire, Fatigue Severity Scale, SF-36 Form scores were recorded. After receiving a diagnosis of RLS, patients completed the RLS Severity Rating Scale (RLS-SWS) questionnaire.
RESULTS: We identified RLS in 12 (37.5%) of the 32 patients included in the study. There were no differences in demographic characteristics. The leg lengths in the patients with RLS (PwRLS) were significantly shorter (p < 0.001). PwRLS had shorter sleep duration, longer latency, and worse sleep quality and fatigue severity scores (p < 0.001). The pain score was found to be statistically significantly higher in the PwRLS group (p = 0.007). There were no differences in other QoL areas. In the PwRLS study, the RLS-SWS score was positively correlated with sleep latency, sleep quality, and pain and fatigue scores. It was also negatively correlated with sleep duration (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that RLS, which has an effective treatment, is a prevalent condition among PS patients that worsens sleep quality and increases pain. Clinicians should screen PS patients who complain of leg pain and/or sleep disturbances for RLS and provide appropriate treatment.
PMID:41706359 | DOI:10.1007/s11325-026-03591-5
