The Spectrum of Motor Disorders in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: Pathogenic Mechanisms, Clinical Manifestations, and Therapeutic Strategies

Motor disorders are increasingly recognized as a significant complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet they remain underdiagnosed, undertreated, and often overlooked in clinical practice. Patients with CKD experience a broad spectrum of motor disturbances, including restless legs syndrome, myoclonus, flapping tremor, periodic limb movements in sleep, Parkinsonism, and peripheral neuropathy. These disorders arise from complex and often overlapping mechanisms such as uremic neurotoxicity, vascular injury, electrolyte and hormonal imbalances, or inflammatory processes, reflecting the systemic impact of impaired renal function on the central and peripheral nervous systems. The presence of motor disorders in CKD is associated with substantial clinical consequences for quality of life, contributing to impaired mobility, persistent insomnia, daytime fatigue, higher fall risk, and diminished independence. Moreover, these disturbances have been linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, further exacerbating the already high burden of disease in this population. Current management approaches focus on optimizing kidney function through dialysis or transplantation, pharmacological therapies such as dopaminergic agents, gabapentinoids, and iron supplementation, as well as non-pharmacological interventions including structured exercise programs and sleep hygiene measures. Despite these strategies, robust evidence on long-term outcomes, comparative effectiveness, and optimal treatment algorithms remains limited. Greater recognition of the clinical impact of motor disorders in CKD, combined with targeted research efforts, is urgently needed to improve patient-centered outcomes and guide evidence-based care.