Fatigue, reduced sleep quality and restless legs syndrome in CMT: a web based su

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J Neurol. 2009 Nov 24.

Fatigue, reduced sleep quality and restless legs syndrome in Charcot-Marie-Tooth

disease: a web-based survey.

Boentert M, Dziewas R, Heidbreder A, Happe S, Kleffner I, Evers S, Young P.

Department of Neurology, University Hospital Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Str. 33,

48129, Münster, Germany.

To investigate the prevalence of fatigue, daytime sleepiness, reduced sleep

quality, and restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a large cohort of patients with

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and their impact on health-related quality of

life (HRQoL).

Participants of a web-based survey answered the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, and, if

the diagnostic criteria of RLS were met, the International RLS Severity Scale.

Diagnosis of RLS was affirmed in screen-positive patients by means of a

standardized telephone interview. HRQoL was assessed by using the SF-36

questionnaire. Age- and sex-matched control subjects were recruited from waiting

relatives of surgical outpatients. 227 adult self-reported CMT patients answered

the above questionnaires, 42.9% were male, and 57.1% were female. Age ranged

from 18 to 78 years.

Compared to controls (n = 234), CMT patients reported significantly higher

fatigue, a higher extent and prevalence of daytime sleepiness and worse sleep

quality. Prevalence of RLS was 18.1% in CMT patients and 5.6% in controls (p =

0.001). RLS severity was correlated with worse sleep quality and reduced HRQoL.

Women with CMT were affected more often and more severely by RLS than male

patients. With regard to fatigue, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, RLS

prevalence, RLS severity, and HRQoL, we did not find significant differences

between genetically distinct subtypes of CMT. HRQoL is reduced in CMT patients

which may be due to fatigue, sleep-related symptoms, and RLS in particular.

Since causative treatment for CMT is not available, sleep-related symptoms

should be recognized and treated in order to improve quality of life.