[Restless legs syndrome]

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterised by daily dynamic sensorial and motor syndromes. It is a relatively little known syndrome among neurologists as well as psychiatrists. In spite of a growing number of researches on this issue, the problem seems to be underdiagnosed. Because of a subjective character of the symptoms and also their appearance in the evening hours, they are difficult to observe among outpatients. In the case of diagnosing the restless legs syndrome, therapists pay attention to sleep disorders, which usually remain as the only one being treated and others are omitted. Some are convinced of little harmfulness of this syndrome, however sleep disorders themselves worsen social functioning and those disorders lasting longer, increase the probability of other, not only psychiatric disorders appearing. A separate issue is the not yet established pathogenesis of the restlessness legs syndrome, especially its genetic background. It is important because of the possible ways of treatment. Undoubtedly RLS needs more research and promoting knowledge on this issue not only among doctors but also in the whole society.