Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological dis­order associated with uncomfortable and occasion­ally painful creeping sensations in the legs and/or arms. Restless legs syndrome can be categorized as primary or secondary, depending on the onset mech­anism. Dopaminergic agents, which include dopa­mine agonists¹ and levodopa, are used to ameliorate the symptoms of RLS.

• In people with moderate to severe primary RLS, treatment with dopamine agonists relieves symp­toms and improves quality of life in the short term. However, side effects can lead to terminating treatment in some cases. The benefits and risks of treatment in the longer term are not established.
• Some evidence suggests that levodopa treatment can reduce periodic limb movements (PLM) during sleep and improve sleep and quality of life in pa­tients, but the scientific evidence is insufficient to draw conclusions on the risks for side effects of levodopa.
• The scientific evidence is insufficient to draw con­clusions on the cost­ effectiveness of dopaminergic agents.

¹The conclusions on dopamine agonists apply to the drugs pramipexole, ropinirole, and rotigotine.