Hemodialysis with restless legs syndrome (HD-RLS) is associated with alterations in neuronal function, the blood-brain barrier and iron deposition, thus affecting cerebral metabolism and perfusion. This study utilized three-dimensional arterial spin labeling (ASL) to identify HD-RLS-related perfusion patterns and potential relationships with disease severity. Twenty-six HD-RLS patients, 30 hemodialysis patients without restless legs syndrome (HD-nRLS) and 30 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls were included in this study. One-way analysis of covariance and post hoc analyses were used to assess differences in cerebral blood flow (CBF) values, demographics and clinical data among the three groups. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted between altered CBF values in the HD-RLS group and clinical data. Compared with HD-nRLS patients, HD-RLS patients showed increased CBF in the right primary motor cortex (false discovery rate [FDR]-corrected P < 0.05). Compared with the normal controls, both HD subgroups (i.e., those with and without RLS) exhibited consistent CBF changes, including increased CBF in the left medial superior frontal gyrus and bilateral thalamus and decreased CBF in the left insular cortices (FDR-corrected P < 0.05). This abnormal hyperperfusion in the sensorimotor cortex and basal ganglia provides evidence for a sensory processing disorder in RLS that may be involved in the pathogenesis of RLS in HD patients.
Keywords: Arterial spin labeling; Cerebral blood flow; Hemodialysis; Restless legs syndrome.