Animal studies in restless legs syndrome

Although restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common disorder that has been studied thoroughly in the past decades, the underlying pathophysiology is still not fully understood. However, some attractive hypotheses on the pathogenesis of the disorder have been forwarded. Animal models are an important tool to verify hypotheses and to dissect out the details of pathophysiological mechanisms. Ideally they might serve the development of future treatment strategies. This review discusses the general and specific prerequisites necessary for the establishment of animal models for RLS and summarizes the approaches that have been made.