Conclusions
Current understanding of the pathogenesis of SRPE can be summarized as abnormal androgen elevation, neuroendocrine disorders, psychological and mental abnormalities, lower pain threshold in REM-stage, and obstructive sleep breathing syndrome. According to literature reports, multiple drugs are applied to provide relief for SRPE patients including baclofen and clonazepam However, the long-term use of baclofen is not advisable, and a combination of multiple drug treatments is the main strategy for these patients.
For these reasons, prospective cohort observation studies of currently proposed treatment methods and further investigation of the regulation of central and peripheral nerve signal pathways and pathological regulation mechanisms of SRPE are urgently required.
Acknowledgements
We thank the authors of the studies referenced in this article for their work.
Funding
This study was supported by the National Population Health Science Data Sharing Service Platform Clinical Medical Science Data Center (NCMI-ABD02-201906) and the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS) (no. 2018-I2M-1-004).
Reporting Checklist
The authors have completed the Narrative Review reporting checklist. Available at https://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tau-21-1045
Ethical Statement
The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Transl Androl Urol. 2021;10(12):4422-4430. © 2021 AME Publishing Company
