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Restless legs syndrome in paediatric patients with epilepsy

A Pérez-Villena1, V Soto-Insuga2, E Martínez-Cayuelas3

  • 1Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain.

Neurologia
|May 26, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) affects 17.1% of children with epilepsy, a higher prevalence than in the general pediatric population. Insomnia was also found to be associated with RLS in this cohort.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder with established diagnostic criteria.
  • The prevalence of RLS in the general pediatric population ranges from 2% to 4% and increases with age.
  • The prevalence of RLS in children with epilepsy remains uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in pediatric patients diagnosed with epilepsy.
  • To explore the association between RLS and insomnia in this specific patient group.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective observational study was conducted involving 117 pediatric patients with epilepsy from four hospitals in Madrid.
  • Data were collected between December 2020 and March 2023 through pediatric neurology consultations.
  • Patients were assessed for RLS and insomnia using defined clinical criteria.

Main Results:

  • Out of 117 participants (mean age 10.3 years), 17.1% met the criteria for RLS, and 4.3% met criteria for possible RLS.
  • Insomnia was reported by 33.9% of patients, with sleep onset insomnia being the most common type (18.1%).
  • A statistically significant association was found between the presence of RLS and insomnia (P = .041).

Conclusions:

  • The prevalence of RLS in pediatric patients with epilepsy in this study sample was notably higher than in the general pediatric population.
  • Insomnia is a common comorbidity and is associated with RLS in children with epilepsy.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

Keywords:
ChildrenEpilepsiaEpilepsyNiñosRestless legs syndromeSleepSueñoSíndrome de piernas inquietas

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