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Botulinum Toxin to Treat Restless Legs Syndrome

NCT00479154 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: PHASE1/PHASE2 · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 6

Last updated 2012-04-26

Study results available
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Summary

This study will test whether botulinum toxin (Botox) may relieve the uncomfortable sensations patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) experience. RLS is a common movement disorder that causes sensory discomfort and restlessness, most often in the legs, which improves with movement. Although medications are available to treat the disorder, many people experience side effects that prevent them from continuing on the medication. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Botox for other movement disorders and for some cosmetic uses.

People 18 years of age or older with moderate to severe RLS who have been taking RLS medications for more than 6 weeks before entering the study may be eligible to participate. Candidates are screened with a medical history, physical and neurological examinations, blood tests and, for women who can become pregnant, a urine pregnancy test.

Participants are randomly assigned to receive injections of either Botox or placebo (salt water) into up to nine areas of the legs. The correct location of the muscles to be injected is determined by electromyography (EMG), a test that measures the electrical activity of muscles. For surface EMG, electrodes (small metal disks) are filled with a conductive gel and taped to the skin. Needle EMG involves inserting a needle into a muscle. Both methods are used in this study.

At 2 and 4 weeks after the injections, subjects are interviewed by telephone and asked to describe their symptoms, side effects and any improvement they may have noticed. After 12 weeks they return to NIH for injections with the alternate compound; that is, those who received Botox previously are given placebo for the second set of injections, and vice-versa. Subjects are again contacted by telephone 2 and 4 weeks after the injections to report their symptoms, side effects and benefits.

Conditions

  • Restless Legs Syndrome

Interventions

DRUG

Botulinum Toxin A

Maximum dose of 90 units/leg was injected.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

    lead NIH

Principal Investigators

  • Fatta Nahab, MD · NINDS/NIH

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
80 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2007-05-31
Primary Completion
2008-04-30
Completion
2008-04-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00479154 on ClinicalTrials.gov