School of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2014 Aug;68(8):640-3. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12170. Epub 2014 Apr 14.
The aim of this study was to examine possible signs of impairment of the microcirculation in the lower extremities of female patients suffering from primary restless legs syndrome (RLS)/Willis-Ekbom disease.
This study was performed in eight female patients, mean age 48 years (range 21-65), diagnosed with primary RLS but otherwise healthy. Eight healthy female control subjects, mean age 47 years (range 27-64), were also included in the study. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to determine intramuscular blood flow by placing an optical single fiber in the tibialis anterior muscle belly. The studies were performed between 08.00 and 10.00 hours and 20.00 and 22.00 hours. Blood flow was expressed in perfusion units.
The median intramuscular blood flow in the RLS patients' tibialis anterior muscles, recorded from both legs, was significantly higher in the morning, at 17.9 perfusion units, than in the evening, at 12.1 perfusion units (P = 0.004). Corresponding values for the healthy controls were 13.1 perfusion units and 12.0 perfusion units, a non-significant difference. The relative fold changes of microcirculation in the RLS group compared to healthy age-matched controls were 0.7 ± 0.3 and 1.1 ± 0.6, respectively (P = 0.04).
Our results suggest that in female patients with primary RLS, the microcirculation in the tibialis anterior muscle is higher in the morning compared with in the evening.
本研究旨在检查原发性不安腿综合征（RLS）/ Willis-Ekbom 病女性患者下肢微循环受损的可能迹象。
本研究纳入了 8 名女性患者，平均年龄 48 岁（范围 21-65 岁），均被诊断为原发性 RLS，但其他方面健康。还纳入了 8 名健康的女性对照者，平均年龄 47 岁（范围 27-64 岁）。使用激光多普勒血流仪通过将光纤置于胫骨前肌腹部来确定肌肉内血流。研究在 08:00 至 10:00 点和 20:00 至 22:00 点之间进行。血流以灌注单位表示。
RLS 患者的胫骨前肌的肌肉内血流中位数，从双腿记录，在早上显著更高，为 17.9 个灌注单位，而在晚上为 12.1 个灌注单位（P=0.004）。健康对照组的相应值为 13.1 个灌注单位和 12.0 个灌注单位，差异无统计学意义。RLS 组与健康年龄匹配对照组相比，微循环的相对折叠变化分别为 0.7±0.3 和 1.1±0.6（P=0.04）。
我们的结果表明，在原发性 RLS 的女性患者中，与晚上相比，胫骨前肌的微循环在早上更高。
