Analysis of Sympathetic Activity in Willis-Ekbom Disease

NCT02929732 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: RECHMPL16_0056
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Willis-Ekbom disease (WED), also known as restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological sensorimotor disorder that typically impairs sleep and quality of life, likely consequent to a central dopaminergic dysfunction associated to brain iron deficiency. Periodic limb movements (PLMS) in sleep are present in 80% of patients with WED. PLMS are often associated with micro-arousals that contribute to sleep fragmentation and repeated increases of blood pressure and heart rate throughout the night, thus representing an increased risk for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Willis-Ekbom disease affects people with higher cardiovascular risk factors, such as advanced age, obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia. However, previous observational, cross-sectional or longitudinal population-based studies on the association between RLS and CVD and hypertension showed controversial results. While the pathophysiology of RLS is yet to be elucidated and is likely multifactorial, one theory involves a reduction in dopaminergic outflow to the preganglionic sympathetic neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Dopamine inhibits preganglionic sympathetic neurons, therefore a reduction in dopamine may in turn increase sympathetic outflow. Based on this notion, the investigators hypothesize an increase of sympathetic autonomic activity in Willis-Ekbom disease responsible for the recurrent increase in blood pressure and heart rate during sleep, which may play a role in increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to analyze the autonomic nervous activity in patients with WED compared to healthy volunteers controls. The investigators will measure primarily the cardiac sympathetic activity by the 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy and secondarily the sympathetic nerve activity by the plasmatic pro inflammatory biomarkers and urinary catecholamine levels and the circadian variation of blood pressure and heart rate as assessed by the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Conditions

Willis-Ekbom Disease; Restless Legs Syndrome

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Cardiac sympathetic activity measurement by the 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy. Analysis of 123I-MIBG uptake based on the ratio heart/mediastinum

  Day 0

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Cardiac sympathetic activity measurement by the 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) scintigraphy. Analysis of 123I-MIBG washout.

  Day 0

• Analysis of circadian variations of blood pressure and heart rate assessed by the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

  Day 0

• Measurement of pro inflammatory biomarkers and urinary catecholamines levels

  Day 0

• 5) Analysis of mean increases of blood pressure and heart rate based on sleep stages, micro-arousals, periodic limb movements and sleep apnoeas as measured by continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring

  Day 0

Study Arms (2)

Willis-Ekbom disease patients (CASE)

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Sympathetic nervous activity measurement

Healthy volunteers (CONTROL)

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Sympathetic nervous activity measurement

Interventions

Sympathetic nervous activity measurement OTHER

Polysomnography, MIBG myocardic scintigraphy, and 24h blood pressure measurement

Healthy volunteers (CONTROL); Willis-Ekbom disease patients (CASE)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 74 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• years-old or more, and less than 75 years-old
• French-speaking
• able to understand the study
• signed written informed consent
• affiliated to social security
• " International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) 2012 " positive criteria
• RLS severity scale (IRLS) score ≥ 15
• ferritin \> 50 ng/ml
• periodic limb movements index \> 10/hour
• idiopathic (or primary) Willis-Ekbom disease not treated with dopaminergic agonists or pregabalin or gabapentin in the last 8 days, at least 3 years of disease duration with symptoms recurring at least 3 times a week

You may not qualify if:

• vulnerable subject : subject deprived of liberty or protected by law (trusteeship, legal guardianship), pregnant or breastfeeding woman
• malignant neoplastic disease treated in the last 12 months
• medical history of cardiovascular disease (ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome)
• antidepressant, neuroleptic, sympathomimetic, sympatholytic, vasculotropic, dopamine agonists, opiate treatments
• \- restless legs syndrome secondary to renal failure, hemochromatosis, neurologic disorders, iatrogenesis

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Montpellier: lead

Study Sites (1)

University Hospital of Montpellier

Montpellier, 34295, France

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Restless Legs Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nervous System Diseases; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Wake Disorders; Parasomnias; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 7, 2016
• First Posted: October 11, 2016
• Study Start: March 21, 2017
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 5, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 5, 2027
• Last Updated: October 2, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

FR (1)