Restless Legs Syndrome / Willis–Ekbom Disease
Phase E shard-3 neuro-sym wave (2026-05-16): authored at INTEGRATED — manifest forward-declared stub (engine_id only); NO panel/router entry (matches neuro.bell-palsy.v1 convention for new neuro INTEGRATED dossiers this shard). PRODUCTION promotion requires full manifest + RxNav-validated terminology. Diagnosis is CLINICAL by the IRLSSG five essential criteria (urge±sensation / worse at rest / relieved by movement / evening-night / not solely a mimic). Polysomnography ONLY if diagnosis unclear/atypical/refractory or OSA suspected (quantifies PLMS index for PLMD). Load-bearing secondary-cause + iron workup: serum ferritin + transferrin saturation MANDATORY in ALL patients (brain iron deficiency is the central RLS pathophysiology). Treat iron when ferritin ≤75 ng/mL (oral ferrous sulfate + vitamin C alternate-day if TSAT >20%) or TSAT <20% / ferritin ≤100 / oral inappropriate / CKD (IV ferric carboxymaltose — FCM RCT IRLS decrease 8.9 vs 4.0, CGI-I 48.3% vs 14.3%; IRLSSG iron consensus PMID 29425576; AAN 2016 Level B PMID 27856776). Management paradigm shift (AASM 2025 — newest, primary floor PMID 39324694/39324664): non-pharm + remove aggravators + iron repletion FIRST, then ALPHA-2-DELTA LIGANDS FIRST-LINE (gabapentin enacarbil STRONG; gabapentin/pregabalin conditional; dipyridamole conditional alternative) — preferred over dopamine agonists because of AUGMENTATION (the central long-term hazard — iatrogenic earlier onset/greater intensity/anatomic spread). Dopamine agonists (pramipexole/ropinirole/rotigotine) NO LONGER first-line for long-term therapy (augmentation; ICD ~17% Cornelius 2010 PMID 20120624; sleep attacks); rotigotine patch lower augmentation. Low-dose opioid (oxycodone-naloxone) for refractory/augmentation (Trenkwalder Lancet Neurol 2013 PMID 24140442 — IRLS 31.7→15.1 vs placebo 31.6→22.1). AVOID levodopa for daily therapy (highest augmentation — intermittent/PRN only — anti-pattern encoded). Augmentation is encoded as a dedicated RED_FLAGS focus + severity_trigger + contraindication_rules: on a dopaminergic agent, symptoms EARLIER/MORE-intense/SPREADING (esp. post-dose-increase) = augmentation, NOT undertreatment — do NOT increase the dose; ensure iron repleted, rotate off the dopaminergic, switch to alpha-2-delta ligand or low-dose opioid (Garcia-Borreguero 2016 PMID 27448465). Regimen axis rls_management — 4 stepwise tiers with curl-verified RxCUIs (RxNav forward+reverse 2026-05-16): Step 1 iron repletion + non-pharm + remove aggravators (ferrous sulfate 24947 / ferric carboxymaltose 1433693 / iron sucrose 24909) → Step 2 alpha-2-delta first-line (gabapentin enacarbil 1101333 / gabapentin 25480 / pregabalin 187832 / dipyridamole 3521 emerging) → Step 3 dopamine agonist limited (rotigotine 616739 patch preferred / pramipexole 746741 / ropinirole 72302 / carbidopa-levodopa 103990 intermittent-only anti-pattern) → Step 4 low-dose opioid refractory (naloxone/oxycodone 1545902 / methadone 6813 / tramadol 10689 caution-can-augment / clonazepam 2598 adjunct). bupropion 42347 = RLS-neutral antidepressant for depression comorbidity. Special populations: pregnancy (very common 3rd trimester, usually remits postpartum — iron/folate + non-pharm first, most drugs avoided, OB co-managed), CKD/ESRD/dialysis (high prevalence — IV iron preferred + renal-adjusted gabapentinoid; route neph.ckd.core.v1), elderly (dopamine-agonist sleep-attacks/falls + gabapentinoid sedation/falls STOPP — dose-reduce; route symptom.falls.v1), iron-deficiency/IDA (route heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 — shipped this shard), depression comorbidity (avoid mirtazapine/SSRI/SNRI worsening — use bupropion). Sibling differentiation: neuro.peripheral-neuropathy.v1 (key mimic + secondary contributor — pivot: relief by movement + circadian vs sensory loss), heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 (iron central — overt IDA/GI-loss route; cross-referenced repletion algorithm), neph.ckd.core.v1 (CKD/ESRD secondary RLS), symptom.falls.v1 (DA/gabapentinoid fall risk in elderly — STOPP). All shipped this shard. Schema-blocked downstream: calc.irls (IRLS/IRLSSG Rating Scale 10-item 0-40 severity), calc.augmentation_severity (ASRS), workup.restless_legs (dedicated RLS branching) — NOT in clinical-tools-registry; severity encoded NARRATIVELY in flow + severity_triggers; workup.insomnia is the resolving entry workup (RLS is a major sleep-disruptor; AASM insomnia card explicitly evaluates RLS). Surfaced in research bundle schema-blocked queue. Evidence: 10 WebSearch-verified PMIDs (2026-05-16). PMID corrections vs task brief: IRLSSG iron consensus 29773288→29425576 (Allen 2018 Sleep Med); Allen NEJM pregabalin/pramipexole 24450891→24521108. AASM 2025 (PMID 39324694) adopted as the newest primary guideline floor per always-latest rule; AAN 2016 (27856776) retained as the older anchor. DEPTH-PASS-2 (2026-05-18, shard-3 CL-3): added the §5.5.2 Bayesian differential layer (prisma/seed/ros-and-ddx/neuro.restless-legs.v1.{ros,differentials,finding-lrs}.ts — auto-registered by readdir): 12 ROS items (the 5 IRLSSG essential criteria + supportive features [first-degree FHx, PLMS index, dramatic dopaminergic response] + iron/augmentation/ICD/aggravating-drug pivots), 10 differentials with sourced pre-test priors (RLS/WED, nocturnal leg cramps, peripheral neuropathy [→ neuro.peripheral-neuropathy.v1], drug-induced akathisia, positional discomfort/ischaemia, PLMD, chronic venous insufficiency, arthritis/joint pain, myelopathy/radiculopathy [→ neuro.peripheral-neuropathy.v1], iron-deficient/iron-responsive RLS [→ heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 / neph.ckd.core.v1]), and 27 finding×diagnosis LR rows. RLS-defining cardinal criteria (1 urge / 3 movement-relief / 4 circadian / 5 not-solely-a-mimic) carry distinct LR+ ≥15 with strongly discriminating LR- (≤~0.1). Iron studies converted to LR by arithmetic from the IRLSSG iron consensus (PMID 29425576): ferritin ≤75 ng/mL LR+ ≈ 0.70/0.25 ≈ 2.8 (LR- ≈ 0.40); TSAT <20% LR+ ≈ 0.55/0.10 ≈ 5.5 (LR- ≈ 0.50). Two conditional-dependency notes encoded: (#A) ferritin-threshold LR | inflammation/CRP — ferritin is an acute-phase reactant so rely on TSAT (not ferritin) in inflammation/CKD and do NOT multiply the two iron LRs; (#B) urge-criterion LR | circadian-timing — the criterion-1 urge LR is gated by criterion-4 circadian context, so score the 5 criteria as a JOINT gate not 5 independent multiplicative LRs. §5.5.1 depth-pass-2 quantitative tightening (additive, schema-preserving): ≥10 distinct effect-size numbers with units + inline trial/year/PMID are now wired into severity_triggers and notes — pregabalin vs pramipexole 0.5 mg augmentation 7.7%→2.1% over 40-52 wk (Allen NEJM 2014 PMID 24521108); cumulative augmentation ~5-8%/yr, up to ~40-70% over years on levodopa/short-acting DA (Garcia-Borreguero 2016 PMID 27448465); ICD ~17% on dopaminergic RLS therapy (9% shopping / 11% eating / 5% gambling / 3% hypersexuality / 7% punding; Cornelius 2010 PMID 20120624); prolonged-release oxycodone-naloxone IRLS 31.7→15.1 vs placebo 31.6→22.1 at wk 12 (n=304; Trenkwalder Lancet Neurol 2013 PMID 24140442); IV ferric carboxymaltose IRLS decrease 8.9 vs 4.0, CGI-I 48.3% vs 14.3% (corroborated PMID 28643901); iron-treatment thresholds ferritin ≤75 ng/mL / TSAT <20% / ferritin ≤100 (IRLSSG iron consensus PMID 29425576); recheck ferritin/TSAT 8-12 wk; pregnancy 3rd-trimester ~2-3× prevalence with usual postpartum remission (Silber 2021 PMID 34218864). Explicit AUGMENTATION-DEPRESCRIBING trigger added as DATA (cross-taper OFF dopamine agonist over 1-2 wk → alpha-2-delta / low-dose oxycodone-naloxone; do NOT up-titrate). Quantified special-population branches added: pregnancy (low-dose iron+folate+non-pharm first, AVOID dopamine agonists/gabapentinoids in pregnancy as data, opioid only if severe + OB/specialist co-managed), renal/ESRD (IV iron + renal-adjusted gabapentin enacarbil — avoid if CrCl <30; route neph.ckd.core.v1), geriatric (ICD ~17% + gabapentinoid/DA fall risk STOPP — lowest effective dose, prefer rotigotine patch, avoid clonazepam; route symptom.falls.v1). Resolving cross-dossier engine_id routes (≥2): symptom.falls.v1 and neph.ckd.core.v1 (also neuro.peripheral-neuropathy.v1 and heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 wired in §5.5.2 differentials via linked_disease_engine). last_reconciled bumped 2026-05-16 → 2026-05-18; no calc.* ids added (IRLS/ASRS remain schema-blocked, narrative-encoded); no drug codes added or changed. DEPTH-PASS-3 2026-05-26 (lane-E): +NMA +USPSTF +Cochrane +ICER stubs +decision thresholds, side-car at neuro.restless-legs.v1._depth-pass-3.md.
Entry points (8)
- symptomUrge to move the legs, usually with/caused by an uncomfortable or unpleasant leg sensation (IRLSSG essential criterion 1; AASM 2025 PMID 39324694)urge_to_move_legs
- symptomSymptoms begin or worsen during rest or inactivity (sitting, lying — criterion 2)worse_at_rest
- symptomPartial or total relief by movement (walking, stretching) at least as long as the activity continues (criterion 3)relieved_by_movement
- symptomWorse in the evening/night than during the day, or only occurs in evening/night (criterion 4)circadian_evening_night
- symptomChronic sleep-onset/maintenance disruption from leg restlessness (RLS is a major sleep-disruptor — workup.insomnia entry)sleep_disruption_chronic
- problem_listRestless legs syndrome / Willis–Ekbom disease on the problem list (G25.81) for chronic management or augmentation reviewrls_on_problem_list
- symptomPeriodic limb movements in sleep reported by bed partner (PLMS / PLMD association; G47.61)periodic_limb_movements
- symptomOn dopaminergic therapy: symptoms now EARLIER in the day / more intense / spreading — augmentation (the central long-term hazard; Garcia-Borreguero 2016 PMID 27448465)augmentation_symptoms
Required inputs (18)
- agerequireddemographic • used at CONTEXTPrevalence rises with age; geriatric → dopamine-agonist ICD/sleep-attacks/falls + gabapentinoid sedation/fall risk (STOPP) — dose-reduce
- irlssg_five_criteria_metrequiredsymptom • used at FRAMERLS is a CLINICAL diagnosis — all five IRLSSG essential criteria must be met (urge±sensation, worse at rest, relieved by movement, evening/night, not solely a mimic); any absent → re-route to mimic (AASM 2025 PMID 39324694)
- symptom_frequency_severityrequiredsymptom • used at RISK_STRATIFICATIONFrequency + IRLS-band severity (intermittent vs chronic-persistent clinically significant ≥2-3×/wk + sleep/QoL impact) drives pharmacotherapy candidacy (calc.irls schema-blocked — encoded narratively)
- relief_with_movement_presentrequiredsymptom • used at DIFFERENTIALRelief by movement distinguishes RLS from neuropathy (NOT relieved), cramps (relieved by stretch not walking), and positional discomfort
- sensory_loss_or_neuropathic_painsymptom • used at BRANCHING_WORKUPStocking-distribution sensory loss / burning NOT relieved by movement → peripheral neuropathy mimic + possible secondary cause → route neuro.peripheral-neuropathy.v1
- prior_dopaminergic_exposurerequiredhistory • used at CONTEXTPrior/current dopamine-agonist or levodopa exposure → screen for augmentation (the central long-term hazard) + impulse-control disorder (~17%; Cornelius 2010 PMID 20120624)
- augmentation_featuresrequiredsymptom • used at RED_FLAGSOn dopaminergic therapy: symptoms EARLIER in day / more intense / spreading / shorter rest-latency — especially after a dose increase = augmentation, NOT undertreatment; do NOT increase dose (Garcia-Borreguero 2016 PMID 27448465)
- impulse_control_disorder_screenrequiredsymptom • used at RED_FLAGSPathological gambling/shopping/hypersexuality/binge-eating/punding on a dopamine agonist (~17% any ICD; Cornelius 2010 PMID 20120624) → discontinue/rotate agonist
- pregnancy_statusrequireddemographic • used at CONTEXTPregnancy-associated RLS very common 3rd trimester, usually remits postpartum — iron/folate + non-pharm first; most drugs avoided; OB co-management (Silber 2021 PMID 34218864)
- ckd_or_dialysisrequiredhistory • used at CONTEXTCKD/ESRD/dialysis = high-prevalence secondary RLS — IV iron preferred; gabapentinoid accumulates → marked renal dose-reduction; route neph.ckd.core.v1
- aggravating_drug_listrequiredmedication • used at CONTEXTAntihistamines, dopamine antagonists/antiemetics, most antidepressants (esp. mirtazapine/SSRI/SNRI), antipsychotics, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine worsen RLS — bupropion is RLS-neutral/beneficial (preferred in RLS + depression)
- depression_anxiety_comorbidityhistory • used at CONTEXTRLS-depression/anxiety comorbidity common (bidirectional with sleep loss); avoid mirtazapine/SSRI/SNRI worsening — use bupropion; PHQ-9/GAD-7 screen
- serum_ferritinrequiredlab • used at INITIAL_WORKUPMANDATORY in ALL patients — brain iron deficiency is the central RLS pathophysiology; treat iron when ferritin ≤75 ng/mL (oral, if TSAT >20%) (IRLSSG iron consensus PMID 29425576)
- transferrin_saturationrequiredlab • used at INITIAL_WORKUPMANDATORY with ferritin — treat iron when TSAT <20% (or ferritin ≤75); IV iron if ferritin ≤100 or oral inappropriate; ferritin is an acute-phase reactant so TSAT is load-bearing in inflammation/CKD (PMID 29425576)
- cbcrequiredlab • used at INITIAL_WORKUPIdentify iron-deficiency anemia / microcytic pattern; route heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 for source workup if overt IDA
- renal_function_egfrrequiredlab • used at INITIAL_WORKUPeGFR (CKD-EPI 2021) — CKD secondary cause + drives renal-adjusted gabapentinoid dosing (gabapentin enacarbil avoid if CrCl <30; gabapentin/pregabalin renal-adjust)
- tshlab • used at INITIAL_WORKUPHypothyroidism is a screenable secondary contributor; thyroid panel in the secondary-cause workup
- polysomnographyimaging • used at BRANCHING_WORKUPPolysomnography ONLY if diagnosis unclear/atypical/refractory or OSA suspected — quantifies PLMS index (PLMD); not required for typical clinical RLS
12-phase flow (12)
- 1FRAMEChronic urge-to-move-legs with a circadian rest/evening-night pattern partially/totally relieved by movement — clinical RLS/WED by the IRLSSG five essential criteria; classify primary/idiopathic vs secondary (iron deficiency / CKD-ESRD / pregnancy / drug-induced) (AASM 2025 PMID 39324694)inputs: irlssg_five_criteria_metadvance: All five IRLSSG essential criteria met (else re-route to mimic)
- 2ENTRYOutpatient PCP / neurology / sleep-clinic visit for chronic leg restlessness, sleep disruption, RLS on problem list, or augmentation review — RLS is a major sleep-disruptor (workup.insomnia is the resolving entry workup; AASM insomnia card explicitly evaluates RLS)actions: workup.insomniaadvance: Engine activated
- 3CONTEXTCapture age (geriatric STOPP), symptom frequency/severity, pregnancy/trimester, CKD/dialysis, prior dopaminergic exposure + augmentation history, aggravating-drug reconciliation, depression/anxiety comorbidity, family history, caffeine/alcohol/nicotineinputs: age, prior_dopaminergic_exposure, pregnancy_status, ckd_or_dialysis, aggravating_drug_list, depression_anxiety_comorbidityactions: cascade.labs_commandadvance: Context + secondary-cause risk factors captured
- 4RED_FLAGSAugmentation on dopaminergic therapy (symptoms earlier/worse/spreading — especially post-dose-increase = NOT undertreatment, do NOT increase dose); impulse-control disorder on a dopamine agonist (~17%); severe sleep deprivation with QoL collapse / safety risk; new focal deficit or sensory level (route neuropathy/myelopathy); pregnancy with severe RLS (Garcia-Borreguero 2016 PMID 27448465; Cornelius 2010 PMID 20120624)inputs: augmentation_features, impulse_control_disorder_screenadvance: Augmentation / ICD / severe-deprivation flags actioned or excluded
- 5INITIAL_WORKUPMANDATORY serum ferritin + transferrin saturation in ALL patients (brain iron deficiency is central); CBC; CMP/renal (eGFR — CKD secondary cause + gabapentinoid renal dosing); TSH (hypothyroid); pregnancy status; medication reconciliation for aggravators (IRLSSG iron consensus PMID 29425576; AAN 2016 PMID 27856776)inputs: serum_ferritin, transferrin_saturation, cbc, renal_function_egfr, tshactions: panel.iron, panel.cbc, panel.cmp, panel.renal, panel.thyroid, panel.metabolicadvance: Ferritin + TSAT + CBC + renal + TSH resulted
- 6BRANCHING_WORKUPIron threshold met (ferritin ≤75 or TSAT <20%) → repletion arm; CKD/ESRD → IV iron + renal-adjusted gabapentinoid (route neph.ckd.core.v1 / workup.aki_on_ckd); sensory loss / not-relieved-by-movement → neuropathy route (workup.peripheral_neuropathy); overt IDA / GI-loss → route heme.iron-deficiency-anemia.core.v1 (workup.chronic_ida); unclear/atypical/refractory or OSA suspicion → polysomnography (PLMS index)inputs: sensory_loss_or_neuropathic_pain, polysomnographyactions: workup.chronic_ida, workup.peripheral_neuropathy, workup.aki_on_ckdadvance: Secondary-cause arms tailored; PSG only if indicated
- 7DIFFERENTIALPrimary/idiopathic vs secondary (iron deficiency / CKD-ESRD / pregnancy / drug-induced); mimics — nocturnal leg cramps (relieved by stretch not walking), akathisia (drug-induced, no circadian, not relieved by movement — route off offender), peripheral neuropathy (sensory loss, not relieved by movement), positional discomfort, PAD/venous, arthritis, myelopathy, anxiety; PLMD/PLMS associationinputs: relief_with_movement_presentadvance: RLS confirmed + secondary causes characterised, mimics excluded
- 8RISK_STRATIFICATIONSeverity banding (IRLS narrative — calc.irls schema-blocked: intermittent vs chronic-persistent clinically significant ≥2-3×/wk + sleep/QoL impact = pharmacotherapy candidate); depression/anxiety screen (PHQ-9/GAD-7); CKD-EPI 2021 for renal-adjusted dosinginputs: symptom_frequency_severityactions: calc.phq9, calc.gad7, calc.ckd_epi_2021advance: Severity + comorbidity + renal function stratified
- 9TREATMENTNon-pharm + remove aggravators + IRON repletion FIRST (oral ferrous sulfate + vitamin C if ferritin ≤75 & TSAT >20%; IV ferric carboxymaltose if oral ineffective/intolerant/malabsorptive/rapid-need/CKD) → ALPHA-2-DELTA LIGAND FIRST-LINE (gabapentin enacarbil STRONG / gabapentin / pregabalin / dipyridamole conditional) → dopamine agonist LIMITED long-term role (rotigotine patch lower augmentation) → low-dose opioid (oxycodone-naloxone) for refractory/augmentation; AVOID levodopa for daily therapy (highest augmentation — intermittent only) (AASM 2025 PMID 39324694; Allen NEJM 2014 PMID 24521108; Trenkwalder 2013 PMID 24140442)inputs: serum_ferritin, transferrin_saturation, augmentation_features, pregnancy_status, ckd_or_dialysisadvance: Iron repletion + first-line pharmacotherapy initiated; aggravators removed
- 10DISPOSITIONOutpatient throughout; sleep-medicine / neurology specialist referral for refractory, augmentation-complicated, or ICD-complicated RLS; obstetrics co-management for pregnancy; nephrology for ESRD (PCP → specialist transition handoff)advance: Disposition + referral pathway documented
- 11MONITORINGFerritin/TSAT response + recheck; AUGMENTATION surveillance at every visit on any dopaminergic agent; ICD screening on dopamine agonists; renal-adjusted gabapentinoid dose + sedation/fall surveillance (elderly STOPP — route symptom.falls.v1); symptom-diary / IRLS-band re-grade; opioid stewardship if on opioidinputs: augmentation_features, impulse_control_disorder_screenactions: panel.ironadvance: Monitoring + surveillance plan documented
- 12FOLLOWUPIron recheck 8-12 wk after repletion (and before re-dosing IV iron); titrate alpha-2-delta to effect; pregnancy RLS usually remits postpartum (de-prescribe); periodic aggravator review; long-term opioid stewardship; re-evaluate diagnosis if refractory despite repletion + adequate first-line therapyinputs: symptom_frequency_severityactions: panel.ironadvance: Response documented; de-prescribing / escalation / re-evaluation routed