Translation and validation into the Brazilian Portuguese of the restless legs syndrome rating scale of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group.

BACKGROUND Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a chronic sensory-motor disorder characterized by unpleasant limb sensations and an irresistible urge to move. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group developed the Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLS) to assess the severity of RLS symptoms. The objective of this study was to translate and validate the IRLS into Brazilian Portuguese. METHOD The IRLS was translated into Brazilian Portuguese, analyzed, back translated to English, and compared to the original version. It was applied to 10 patients for cultural verification. The language was adjusted and the final version was administered to 30 patients (13 male, mean age 58.88+/-14.82). RESULTS There was correlation among the IRLS evaluation of three experts. Many linguistic adaptations were required to achieve cultural adequacy and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient showed reliability of 80%. CONCLUSION IRLS was translated, adapted, and validated to Brazilian Portuguese language, showing good reliability and validity.