RLS assessment and sleep questionnaires in practice--lessons learned from Parkinson's disease.

In recent years, a whole range of interesting and useful scales have been made available for the assessment of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). These can be more or less divided into severity scales (IRLS, RLS-6, JHSS), quality of life scales, and instruments for specific details (e.g. to improve diagnostic accuracy; RLS-DI), or to assess the presence and severity of augmentation (ASRS, SIDA). This manuscript reviews these scales, their specific strengths and weaknesses, validation status and results of their use in RLS populations. Specific scales are already well established in Parkinson's disease, and a more widespread and frequent use of scales and questionnaires will also enhance clinical care and long-term monitoring of patients with RLS.