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Neuropathology of primary restless leg syndrome: Absence of specific τ‐ and α‐synuclein pathology
Author(s) -
Pittock Sean J.,
Parrett Timothy,
Adler Charles H.,
Parisi Joseph E.,
Dickson Dennis W.,
Ahlskog J. Eric
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
movement disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.352
H-Index - 198
eISSN - 1531-8257
pISSN - 0885-3185
DOI - 10.1002/mds.20042
Subject(s) - neuropathology , pathology , spinal cord , neurochemical , lewy body , medicine , pathological , alpha synuclein , progressive supranuclear palsy , neurofibrillary tangle , neuroscience , psychology , parkinson's disease , alzheimer's disease , atrophy , disease , senile plaques
The neuroanatomical substrate for restless legs syndrome (RLS) is unknown. We identified 4 patients with idiopathic RLS who came to post‐mortem examination, where brain and spinal cord tissue were available for neuropathological assessment. Lewy bodies were not identified and α‐synuclein immunohistochemistry was uniformly negative. Neurofibrillary tangle pathology was variable and nonspecific. These findings suggest that τ‐ or α‐synuclein brain pathology is not a component of primary RLS. Although chronic ischemic changes were found in all 4 cases, these were probably incidental. The absence of diagnostic microscopic brain or spinal cord pathology suggests that the pathologic substrate may be neurochemical or receptor based. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society