Evaluation of the Effect of Vitamin B12 Deficiency on the Development of Restless Legs Syndrome and Poor Sleep Quality in Adolescents

Objective: Dysfunction of the dopaminergic system is known to play a role in the pathophysiology of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). Vitamin B12 functions as a cofactor in pathways involved in dopamine synthesis. This study was conducted to investigate whether vitamin B12 deficiency is an etiological factor in RLS and to evaluate the effect of RLS on poor sleep quality. Methods: The study was conducted with 146 pediatric patients aged 10–16 years who applied to pediatric outpatient clinics. All patients were evaluated for RLS according to the diagnostic criteria established by the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG). Patients with symptoms of RLS were scored using the disease symptom severity scale defined by the same group, and comparisons were made between the groups. To assess sleep quality, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire was administered to all patients, and the results were recorded and compared across all groups. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in hemoglobin, hematocrit, ferritin, folic acid, or glucose levels. Serum vitamin B12 levels were found to be significantly lower in patients with RLS compared to those without the syndrome. Our total PSQI scores were statistically higher in the RLS group than in the non-restless legs syndrome group. Patients were divided into three groups according to their vitamin B12 levels: “deficient,” “borderline,” and “sufficient.” When these three groups were compared in terms of the frequency of restless legs syndrome, its prevalence was statistically higher in the group with insufficient vitamin B12 levels. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that vitamin B12 levels should be measured in patients diagnosed with RLS, and deficiency should be treated when identified. In addition, consistent with the literature, sleep quality was found to be impaired in patients with RLS in our study.