DOPAMINE/RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder that is reported to effect between 2-5% of the population. RLS is a sensory-motor disorder that respond to dopamine treatment. RLS prevalence is consistently higher that the population prevalence for iron deficiency, pregnancy, and end-stage renal disease. Although the pathophysiology of RLS remains unknown, evidence does suggest a role for the dopaminergic (DA) system for brain iron deficiency. We propose to test that RLS symptoms are a result of compensation for an increase in the circadian amplitude of dopaminergic activity. We propose that there is a dynamic change in the system over its circadian cycle, not just a single time-of-day decrement in dopamine at night.