Clinical Research Directory

EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE POTENTIAL OF THERAPEUTIC EXERCISE IN THE TREATMENT OF WILLIS-EKBOM DISEASE

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a home-based therapeutic exercise program can improve symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, in adults with chronic RLS. It will also assess whether the program affects daytime sleepiness and quality of life, and whether participants can follow and tolerate the exercises. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does a myofascial self-stretching routine improve RLS symptoms? * Does the exercise program affect daytime sleepiness and quality of life? Researchers will compare two low-risk home exercise routines: a myofascial self-stretching program based on Mézières and Global Active Stretching principles and Buerger-Allen exercises. Participants will be assigned to one of two exercise sequences and will complete their routine over 2 weeks. Participants will: * complete a clinical assessment at the start and end of the study; * perform a 10- to 20-minute exercise session at home each night, preferably before bedtime; * record their RLS symptoms each day; and * keep their usual RLS medication stable during the study.

Analysis of Sympathetic Activity in Willis-Ekbom Disease

Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), also known as restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological sensorimotor disorder that typically impairs sleep and quality of life, likely consequent to a central dopaminergic dysfunction associated to brain iron deficiency. Periodic limb movements (PLMS) in sleep are present in 80% of patients with WED. PLMS are often associated with micro-arousals that contribute to sleep fragmentation and repeated increases of blood pressure and heart rate throughout the night, thus representing an increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Willis-Ekbom disease affects people with higher cardiovascular risk factors, such as advanced age, obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. However, previous observational, cross-sectional or longitudinal population-based studies on the association between RLS and CVD and hypertension showed controversial results. While the pathophysiology of RLS is yet to be elucidated and is likely multifactorial, one theory involves a reduction in dopaminergic outflow to the preganglionic sympathetic neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Dopamine inhibits preganglionic sympathetic neurons, therefore a reduction in dopamine may in turn increase sympathetic outflow. Based on this notion, the investigators hypothesize an increase of sympathetic autonomic activity in Willis-Ekbom disease responsible for the recurrent increase in blood pressure and heart rate during sleep, which may play a role in increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to analyze the autonomic nervous activity in patients with WED compared to healthy volunteers controls. The investigators will measure primarily the cardiac sympathetic activity by the 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy and secondarily the sympathetic nerve activity by the plasmatic pro inflammatory biomarkers and urinary catecholamine levels and the circadian variation of blood pressure and heart rate as assessed by the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.