About the Project

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship investigating the safe and effective use of medicines in Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), with a particular focus on prescribing and deprescribing in patients who experience treatment-related complications such as augmentation.

Project Overview

RLS is a common neurological condition characterised by an urge to move the legs, typically accompanied by uncomfortable sensations that worsen at rest and during the evening or night. As a result, RLS is closely linked to disrupted sleep, reduced quality of life, and significant impacts on physical and mental health.

Pharmacological treatments play an important role in the management of RLS, particularly in individuals with moderate to severe symptoms. However, the long-term use of some medicines can be associated with complications, most notably augmentation—a phenomenon in which symptoms become more severe, occur earlier in the day, and may spread to other parts of the body. Augmentation can be distressing for patients and challenging for clinicians to manage.

This project will explore how prescribing and deprescribing decisions are made in RLS, particularly in the context of augmentation, and how these processes can be optimised to improve patient outcomes.