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The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Diagnostic Criteria
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about the instrument: The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group Diagnostic Criteria
 
The instrument is freely available.
Classification
Supplemental - Highly Recommended: Parkinson's Disease (PD)
Recommendations for use: Indicated for studies evaluating the presence of restless legs syndrome (RLS).
Short Description of Instrument
The essential diagnostic criteria for restless legs syndrome were developed and approved by the executive committee of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Patients are diagnosed with definite RLS if all five essential criteria as described by the IRLSSG are fulfilled in the past year. The criteria are clinically based, and the diagnosis is based on clinical history and does not require Polysomnography and other tools.
 
The IRLSSG Criteria is internationally accepted and widely used.
Scoring and Psychometric Properties
Scoring: Subjects must fulfill all five essential criteria. As the first four criteria have low specificity, current criteria include a fifth criteria which states that all conditions that potentially may mimic true RLS must be excluded.
Rationale/Justification
Strengths: Based on clinical story and experienced interviewer.
 
Weaknesses: Low specificity because an important of mimics.
References
Key Reference:
Allen RP, Picchietti DL, Garcia-Borreguero D, Ondo WG, Walters AS, Winkelman JW, Zucconi M, Ferri R, Trenkwalder C, Lee HB; International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Restless legs syndrome/Willis-Ekbom disease diagnostic criteria: updated International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) consensus criteria--history, rationale, description, and significance. Sleep Med. 2014 Aug;15(8):860-73.
 
Document last updated August 2022