Therapeutic advances in restless legs syndrome (RLS)

Levodopa and dopamine agonists have been the main treatment for restless legs syndrome during the past decades. Although their efficacy has been well documented over the short term, long-term dopaminergic treatment is often complicated by augmentation, loss of efficacy, and other side effects. Recent large randomized controlled trials provide new evidence for the efficacy of high-potency opioids and α2δ ligands, and several post hoc analyses, meta-analyses, algorithms, and guidelines have been published, often with a specific focus, for example, on augmentation, or on management of restless legs syndrome during pregnancy. Several new contributions to understanding the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome have been published, but at this time, whether they will have an impact on treatment possibilities in the future cannot be estimated.