Restless Legs Syndrome (also called Willis-Ekbom disease) is a neurological disorder that has been studied extensively, but many aspects of the disease remain unknown. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by a strong urge to move the legs, including tingling, tightness, pain, or burning when at rest. Patients with RLS can present with a range of symptoms from mild to severe (Eisenberg, 2013). Symptoms generally worsen at night when lying or sitting, but can also affect normal daily activities and are usually relieved with movement. It is estimated that 7 out of 100 people in the United States currently suffer from RLS. RLS can affect people of any age; however, symptoms generally worsen with age. RLS is believed to have strong genetic causes involving iron deficiency (Eisenberg, 2013). Since there is currently no test to diagnose RLS, the only diagnostic material includes objective measures. There is currently no cure for RLS, but many lifestyle changes and medical treatments can help patients deal with the symptoms. Exercise, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, quitting smoking, wearing compression stockings, and light therapy can relieve some symptoms of RLS (Eisenberg, 2013). The most common medical treatments for RLS are dopamine agonists (such as L-Dopa), alpha-2-delta ligands (such as gabapentin, an anticonvulsant medicine), and intravenous iron or iron supplement pills, but other therapies include benzodiazepines and low-potency drugs. opioids (Comella, 2014). Connor's (2011) “Profile of Impaired Cerebral Iron Acquisition in Restless Legs Syndrome” explores iron control in the brains of RLS patients. Previous research has suggested that the blood-brain barrier acts as a simple transport system. The results of... half of the document... 2011). When intracellular iron levels are low, it is the responsibility of the transferrin receptor messenger RNA to increase the translation of specific proteins. Iron regulatory proteins support this transferrin receptor messenger RNA and therefore are essential for regulating iron levels in the brain (Conner et al., 2011). Patients with RLS have decreased iron regulatory proteins and, therefore, low levels of iron in neuromelanin cells. The decrease in iron regulatory proteins causes a decrease in iron accumulation in endothelial cells (Conner et al., 2011). One treatment plan for patients with RLS involves intravenous iron supplements. Restoring lost iron in endothelial cells has been shown to help relieve some symptoms of RLS. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying iron release, absorption, and storage in RLS patients..