Ekbom’s syndrome

a sense of uneasiness, twitching, or restlessness that occurs in the legs when at rest (i.e., sitting or lying) or after retiring for the night. The cause is unknown, but it has been associated with a deficiency of iron, vitamin B₁₂, or folic acid; nerve damage associated with rheumatoid arthritis, kidney failure, or diabetes; and the use of such drugs as lithium, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and beta blockers. Also called restless-legs syndrome; tachyathetosis; Wittmaack–Ekbom syndrome. [Karl-Axel Ekbom (1907–1977), Swedish physician]

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Psychology term of the day

November 25th 2024

cause

1. an event or state that brings about another (its effect).

2. in Aristotelian and rationalist philosophy, an entity or event that is a requirement for another entity or event’s coming to be. Aristotle proposed that there were four types of cause—material, formal, efficient, and final. In the case of a sculpture, for example, the material cause is the stone or metal from which it is made, the formal cause is the form or structure that it takes, the efficient cause is the sculptor, and the final cause is the sculptor’s aim or purpose in making it. —causal adj.