New Clinical Trial at Yale

Researchers at Yale University in the Department of Neurology are investigating potential hormonal mechanisms underlying Restless Legs S...

Researchers at Yale University in the Department of Neurology are investigating potential hormonal mechanisms underlying Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) also known as Willis Ekbom Disease (WED). There is no known cause of RLS/WED, but several lines of evidence suggest that it is a disease influenced or caused by hormones. The aims of the project are two-fold: 

  1. To determine if persons with RLS/WED have abnormally high levels of a specific hormone involved in stress (among other things) and 
  2. To determine if persons with RLS/WED are more likely to have common mutations in a gene that codes for a receptor for this hormone.
The study will take place at Yale New Haven Hospital and require one visit, which will take between 1-2 hours. During the visit, you will complete questionnaires and give blood and fluid samples. To be eligible, participants should:
  • be 18 -80 years of age
  • have primary RLS/WED (i.e. not have Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, pregnancy, end stage renal disease)
  • have RLS/WED that is at least moderate in severity
If you are interested in learning more about this study, please contact Dr. Brian Koo by
Phone (203) 943-5711 x 5416
Email brian.koo@yale.edu

For more information on other clinical trials, visit our website.


The Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation is the leading organization for science-based education and patient services for people suffering from restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is also the only organization with a dedicated research grant program to advance promising research leading to new treatments and a cure. Our goals are simple: increase awareness of RLS, improve treatments, and, through research, find a cure.

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