The studies appeared in Wednesday's online editions of The New England Journal of Medicine and Nature Genetics are apparently the first to identify specific genes responsible for restless legs syndrome symptoms. Scientists are hoping that the findings may lead to new treatments for this condition.
Researchers linked a common gene variation to night time leg-twitching involving people in Iceland and the United States, while the second study also identified the same gene variation and two others in Germans and Canadians with the same syndrome.
The syndrome, which lets people feel an irresistible urge to move their legs, particularly in the evening and at night, is a neurological condition. Sufferers say it often strikes then at night, preventing them from sleeping.
The condition gained national attention through the episode of the sitcom "Seinfeld," in which the character Kramer is disturbed that his girlfriend has "the jimmy legs" and kicks in bed.
The commonly available medicines for the treatment of this syndrome include Requip, made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. However, more research is needed to develop a full explanation of the causes of restless legs syndrome.
