A February 2025 study in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (1) writes: Restless Leg Syndrome is one of the commonest movement disorders, and the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group has suggested five-point criteria for robust diagnosis of Restless Leg Syndrome. However, even in expert hands, diagnosis is accurate in about 85%, and misdiagnosis, especially with ‘RLS mimics,’ appears to be high.  Secondary Restless Leg Syndrome is highly complex and can be associated with Parkinson’s disease as well as the prodromal stage (earliest symptoms) of Parkinson’s and essential tremor. Other known causes of secondary Restless Leg Syndrome are many and include end-stage kidney disease, as well as metabolic disorders, and painful conditions such as rheumatic disorders, fibromyalgia, and polyradiculopathy.

A May 2024 study in the Journal of Sleep Research (2) studied the effectiveness of transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) for Restless Leg Syndrome.  In all 15 patients, 53% male, about 63 years old, with severe pharmacoresistant Restless Leg Syndrome (Pharmacoresistance means the patient did not respond to at least two antiepileptic drugs.)

Following an 8-week hospital-based study with eight one-hour sessions of transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), patients were trained to administer transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) at home and were followed up for 6 months.

• At the 6-month follow-up, 13/15 patients continued to use weekly transauricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS).
• Quality of life and symptoms significantly improved compared to baseline at 6 month as did anxiety and depression symptoms.

A February 2025 study (3) in the journal Open Medicine looked at the effect of vitamin D replacement therapy on sleep habits in restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients with vitamin D deficiency. The researchers found that Vitamin D supplementation can improve sleep habits in patients with RLS.

A February 2025 study in the journal Sleep Medicine (4) writes: “In patients with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), other neuropsychiatric symptoms like anxiety, depression, and somatization (the physical manifestation of symptoms from psychological disorders) are common, yet the precise connection between somatization and Restless Legs Syndrome severity remains unclear.” To help better understand this connection, 87 Restless Legs Syndrome patients (70.1 % female, average age 52.5  years) had their cases followed by the research team and outcomes analyzed to reveal connections among Restless Legs Syndrome severity, anxiety, depression, and somatization. The researchers found “the relationship between anxiety and Restless Legs Syndrome severity is mediated by somatization. Furthermore, the association between Restless Legs Syndrome severity and somatization appears to be more significant than previously recognized.

1 Poplawska-Domaszewicz K, Rota S, Qamar MA, Chaudhuri KR. The complexities in the differential diagnosis of restless legs syndrome (Willis–ekbom disease). Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. 2025 Feb 1 [Google Scholar]
2 Hartley S, Bao G, Russo A, Zagdoun M, Chevallier S, Lofaso F, Leotard A, Azabou E. Self‐administered non‐invasive vagus nerve stimulation therapy for severe pharmacoresistant restless legs syndrome: outcomes at 6 months. Journal of Sleep Research. 2024 May;33(3):e14066. [Google Scholar]
3 Kahraman FU, Demir AD, Yazıcı M, Çakır FB, Temel H, Çollak A, Erenberk U. Vitamin D replacement therapy may regulate sleep habits in patients with restless leg syndrome. Open Medicine. 2025 Feb 11;20(1):20241125. [Google Scholar]
4 Kılınçarslan MG, Ocak Ö, Şahin EM. The impact of neuropsychiatric burden on Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) disease severity. Sleep Medicine. 2025 Feb 1;126:82-7. [Google Scholar]