Combined brain voxel‐based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging study in idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome patients

Background and purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of abnormalities in the brain of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) using voxel‐based morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Twenty patients and twenty controls were studied. Voxel‐based morphometry analysis was performed using statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) and FSL‐VBM software tools. For voxel‐wise analysis of DTI, tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS) and SPM8 were used. Results: Applying an appropriate threshold of probability, no significant results were found either in comparison or in correlation analyses. Conclusions: Our data argue against clear structural or microstructural abnormalities in the brain of patients with idiopathic RLS, suggesting a prevalent role of functional or metabolic impairment.