Restless Legs Syndrome Analysis

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Structures such as the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and others are interconnected to the substantia nigra and putamen of the basal ganglia, among other structures. These basal ganglia regions are responsible for motor movements, learning, and emotions, which is why appropriate upregulation of iron in these regions is responsible for reducing RLS symptoms (Ferre et al., 2018). Dysregulation of iron in basal ganglia regions cause RLS, for iron excess in these basal ganglia structures are necessary to reduce RLS symptoms, mostly idiopathic or primary RLS because secondary RLS have other contributing factors. Iron deficiency (ID) is popular in both secondary and primary RLS. Though dopamine remains a physiological aspect of describing the disorder, …show more content…
Studies have tried to prove whether RLS was a peripheral substrate or a central-nervous-system-related substrate. Restless Legs syndrome is said to be a CNS substrate because most RLS patients have PLMS, due to problems dealing specifically with the CNS. Patients with RLS do not have peripheral neuropathy (Pittock, Parrett, Adler, Parisi, & Dennis, 2004). Therefore, the disorder is not classified as a peripheral substrate. Parkinson disease and RLS overlap in their symptomology. Due to such an overlap, PD and RLS are said to share the same substrate. Parkinson’s disease neuropathology is \alpha- synuclein, which is an abnormal accumulation of \alpha-synuclein proteins in neurons and glial cells. Because of this and the fact that RLS and PD overlap in symptoms, it was believed that RLS is also \alpha-synuclein-related. However, Pittock, Parrett, Adler, Parisi and Dennis proved that Lewy bodies and/or \alpha-synuclein aggregates were not found in RLS patients. Their result differentiates PD pathology from RLS. In that, RLS individuals in their cases had no abnormal protein accumulation in neurons and glial cells. Such a differentiation shows that RLS is not associated with any sort of nervous system deteriorating pathological changes (Pittock, Parrett, Adler, Parisi, & Dennis, 2004), even though PD is. Therefore, further understanding about PD and RLS symptomatic overlap needs further clarification. Also, because PD and RLS differ in their substrate base, this is one reason why individuals who have RLS and PD experience RLS-like symptoms