Treatment of periodic leg movement disorder and restless leg syndrome with talipexole

in order to investigate the bedtime dose of talipexole, a D-2 and alpha(2) stimulant, on patients with periodic leg movement disorder (PLMD) and restless leg syndrome (RLS), we made a comparison of polysomnographic findings and subjective symptom ratings before and during 4 weeks of the treatment on five cases with RLS and PLMD. A significant decrease in both the frequencies of periodic leg movements and subjective symptom ratings and significant improvement of sleep composition were recognized during the treatment. We speculate that the combination of the agonistic action of D-2 and alpha(2) receptor with the drug might not only suppress PLMD and RLS but also improve sleep quality.