Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38708125›Full record

ReviewTremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.)2024

A Historical Overview of the Role of Benzodiazepines including Clonazepam in the Treatment of Adult Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep.

Arthur S Walters, Karen Spruyt, Djibril M Ba, Xiang Gao

Abstract readHistorical ArticleReview
In one paragraph

Review in Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Arthur S Walters *Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5143-7817
Karen Spruyt *UniversitéParis Cité, NeuroDiderot INSERM, France.ORCID 0000-0002-2914-9074
Djibril M BaPenn State College of Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Hershey, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5598-636X
Xiang GaoSchool of Public Health, Institute of Nutrition, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.ORCID 0000-0003-2617-6509

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In a recent survey of 16,694 people receiving treatment for Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), approximately 25% were treated with benzodiazepines either singly or in combination with other RLS treatments. Because of the large number of people receiving benzodiazepines for treatment of RLS, we conducted a historical overview of the therapeutic role of benzodiazepines in RLS and its associated condition Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS). We found 17 articles on the use of clonazepam in RLS, PLMS, or both, 3 on triazolam and PLMS, 1 on alprazolam and RLS, 1 on temazepam and PLMS, and 1 on nitrazepam and PLMS. The order of benefit of benzodiazepines from the summarized literature is Sleep>RLS>PLMS and arousals > PLMS. Most of the studies on clonazepam employed dosages of 0.5-2.0 mg. Dosages of 3 or 4 mg caused lethargy, somnolence and confusion. An epidemiological study on the therapy of RLS suggests that treatment of RLS with most types of RLS medications including benzodiazepines in combination with other RLS therapies lowers the future cardiovascular risk associated with RLS. The major effect of benzodiazepines is through potentiation of the effect of GABA on the GABA A receptor. Neuroimaging studies suggest that GABA is altered either positively or negatively in various brain regions in RLS and genetic studies suggest that there are alterations in the GABA receptor in RLS. These results suggest that medications with different GABAergic mechanisms such as tiagabine (Gabitril) or others should be investigated in RLS for their possible therapeutic benefit. Highlights: Benzodiazepines are frequently used as therapy in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep. The order of benefit is Sleep>RLS>PLMS and arousals > PLMS. For clonazepam dosages of 0.5 mg-2.0 mg/day are most frequently employed. Benzodiazepines exert their therapeutic effect through GABA-ergic mechanisms.

Indexed as

BenzodiazepinesClonazepamNocturnal Myoclonus SyndromeRestless Legs SyndromeAdultHistory, 20th CenturyHistory, 21st CenturyHumansBenzodiazepinesClonazepamalprazolambenzodiazepinesclonazepamnitrazepamPeriodic Limb Movements in Sleep (PLMS)Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)temazepamtriazolam

Identifiers

PMID38708125
PMCPMC11067967

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.