Investigation into the correlation between sensation and leg movement in restless legs syndrome.

We evaluated rest effects on restless legs syndrome (RLS) sensory and motor symptoms. During two 60-minute Suggested Immobilization Tests (SIT) subject's signals of RLS leg sensations and periodic leg movements while awake (PLMW) were recorded. Sensations, PLMW, sensations preceding or after PLMW, sensations occurring without following PLMW, and PLMW occurring without preceding sensation were determined. The RLS patients were divided into equal-sized high and low PLMW groups for further analysis. Data from 46 subjects (28 RLS and 18 controls) revealed sensations increased linearly with rest in RLS patients and controls. Movement rate increased linearly with rest for controls but increased rapidly for the first 45 minutes for all RLS patients. PLMW/hour increased with further rest for low but not high PLMW patients. Sensations followed by PLMW and PLMW without preceding sensations followed similar patterns. Sensations without subsequent PLMW increased dramatically in the last 15 minutes of the SITs. Whereas both sensory and motor signs of RLS increase with rest, there is minimal increase for controls. Patients with higher but not lower PLMW rates reached a ceiling for PLMW after 35 to 40 minutes. The temporal dissociation between sensory and motor events supports viewing these motor and sensory events as separate but loosely linked manifestations of RLS.

Impairment of cardiovascular and vasomotor responses during tilt table simulation of "push-pull' maneuvers.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that tolerance to positive acceleration (+Gz) is impaired subsequent to an exposure of less than +1 Gz. HYPOTHESIS: Vasodilation induced by antecedent negative Gz (-Gz) exposure delays sympathetic vasoconstriction during subsequent +Gz, further reducing G-tolerance. METHODS: There were 20 subjects tested on an electronic tilt table, and exposed to the following randomized head-up tilt (HUT) and head-down tilt (HDT) conditions: +75 degrees HUT for 60 s, followed by transition to either 0 degrees (supine) HDT, or -25 degrees HDT, or -45 degrees HDT for 7 or 15 s at tilt rate of 45 degrees x s(-1). This was followed by HUT, divided into three periods: HUT1 (approximately 3-10 s), HUT2 (approximately 15-22 s), and HUT3 (approximately 27-35 s). Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was normalized to heart and head-levels. Stroke volume (SV) was estimated using impedance cardiography; forearm blood flow (FBF) estimated by venous occlusion plethysmography and forearm vascular resistance (FVR) was calculated from FBF and SBP. Total peripheral resistance (TPR) was estimated by MAP/(SV*HR). RESULTS: Heart-level SBP decreased significantly during HDT for both HDT durations (p < 0.01). SBP increased significantly at head-level during HDT (p < 0.001). During HUT1 heart and head-level SBP decreased for all conditions (p < 0.001), recovering to baseline levels by HUT2. TPR decreased significantly for all HDT conditions (p < 0.001), with this decrease related to the degree of HDT angle (p < 0.05). During HUT1, TPR remained depressed below baseline. At HUT2, TPR remained decreased for the -45 degrees/7-s condition only (p < 0.01). FBF decreased significantly during HDT (p < 0.02), with the magnitude related to the HDT angle. FBF remained elevated during HUT1 (p < 0.01). FVR decreased as a function of HDT angle during HDT (p < 0.001), with the decrease persisting into the HUT1 phase (p < 0.01). By the HUT2 and HUT3 periods, FVR were above baseline levels for the -45 degrees HDT condition (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results confirm in humans the delayed recovery of peripheral vascular resistance observed in animal studies when -Gz precedes +Gz. Since SV recovered to baseline levels during the "pull" phase (HUT1-3), with TPR and forearm vascular resistance remaining depressed, baroreflex-mediated peripheral vascular control is delayed. This delay at higher subsequent +Gz levels is dangerous for the military pilot, since symptoms of G-intolerance due to delay in head-level BP recovery will ensue at lower absolute +Gz levels during push-pull type maneuvers.