• Average Change of the MADRS (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale) Total Score From Baseline to Final Visit After 12 Weeks of Treatment in Participants With Signs of at Least Moderate Depression (MADRS Score: >=18) [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Average Change of the HAM-D (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, 17-item-Version) Total Score From Baseline to Final Visit After 12 Weeks of Treatment [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Average Change of the HAM-D Total Score From Baseline to Final Visit After 12 Weeks of Treatment in Participants With Signs of an at Least Moderate Depression (HAM-D Score >= 15) at Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Average Change of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Total Score From Baseline to Final Visit After 12 Weeks of Treatment [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Average Change of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) Total Score From Baseline to Final Visit After 12 Weeks of Treatment in Participants With Signs of an at Least Mild-moderate Depression (BDI >= 21) at Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants With at Least Moderate Depression (MADRS Score >= 18) at Baseline and in Week 12 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants With at Least Moderate Depression (HAM-D >= 15) at Baseline and in Week 12 [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants ("Responder") With a Decrease of MADRS Total Score of at Least 6 Points After 12 Weeks Compared to Baseline [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants ("Responder") With a Decrease of MADRS Total Score of at Least 6 Points After 12 Weeks Compared to Baseline in Subjects With Signs of at Least Moderate Depression at Baseline (MADRS Score >= 18) [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change in Average MADRS Score From Baseline to Final Visit (Week 12) in Participants With Major Depressive Episodes (Diagnosed by MINI Interview Modules A, B and C / DSM Criteria) [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change in Average HAM-D Score From Baseline to Final Visit (Week 12) in Participants With Major Depressive Episodes (Diagnosed by MINI Interview Modules A, B and C / DSM Criteria) [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change in Average BDI Score From Baseline to Final Visit (Week 12) in Participants With Major Depressive Episodes (Diagnosed by MINI Interview Modules A, B and C / DSM Criteria) [ Time Frame: Baseline and Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change in Average International Restless Legs Scale for Severity (IRLS) Scores in All Participants From Baseline to After 1, 4, and 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline, Week 1, Week 4, Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants With a Decrease of International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) Scores of at Least 6 Points After 1, 4 and 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Week 1, Week 4, Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Percentage of Participants With "Much Improved" or "Very Much Improved" on the Clinical Global Impression-Global Improvement Scale After 1, 4 and 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Week 1, Week 4, Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change From Average Baseline Score of Subscale of "Somnolence" in the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) to Final Visit After 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and after Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change From Average Baseline Scores of Subscale "Sleep Disturbance" of the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) to Final Visit After 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and after Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change From Average Baseline Scores of Subscale "Sleep Adequacy" of the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS)to Final Visit After 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and after Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
• Change From Average Baseline Scores of Subscale "Sleep Quantity" (Hours) of the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-SS) to Final Visit After 12 Weeks [ Time Frame: Baseline and after Week 12 ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Ropinirole has shown to improve mood in depressed patients as well as to improve the symptoms of Restless Legs Syndrome. Up to 40% of RLS patients suffer from mild depression, therefore it would be important for decisions on therapy to know whether a drug could improve both depressive and RLS symptoms.

Inclusion criteria:

• diagnosis of idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome, confirmed by a score of at least 11 on the RLS Diagnostic Index
• certain severity of symptoms (at least score of 15 on the International Restless Legs Score (IRLS)
• Have had RLS symptoms for at least 15 nights in the last four weeks.
• < 6 hours of sleep in nights with RLS symptoms
• MADRS (depression rating scale) score of at least 12 (= borderline to depression) at baseline

Exclusion criteria:

• any other sleep disorder that might interfere with the RLS symptoms or sleep (e.g. sleep apnea disorder, narcolepsy)
• Secondary RLS due to diagnosis of renal insufficiency, polyneuropathy, pregnancy (see below), iron deficiency anemia
• Any significant psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder); depression which by judgement of the investigator is caused by RLS, is not an exclusion criterion.
• Current or past suicidality
• medication known to trigger/aggravate/ cause or interfere with RLS symptoms (e.g. most antidepressants, lithium, neuroleptics, opioids, carbidopa, clonidine, antihistamines, anticonvulsants etc.).
• daytime RLS symptoms which require treatment (10 a.m. until 6 p.m.).
• concomitant movement disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s Disease, dyskinesia, dystonia).
• medical conditions with symptoms which could affect assessments of efficacy (e.g. diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, cancer etc.).
• Subjects taking any medication known to induce drowsiness or to affect sleep.
• Subjects who are pregnant, lactating or of childbearing potential. Women of childbearing potential must use adequate contraception
• clinically significant or unstable medical conditions (e.g. severe heart disease, severe liver or kidney disease etc.).
• pain syndromes, caused by other disorders than RLS
• excessive caffeine intake
• diastolic blood pressure >110mmHg or <50mmHg or systolic blood pressure >180mmHg or <90mmHg at baseline.
• Withdrawal, introduction, or change in dose of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and/or certain drugs which are known to interact with ropinirole (e.g. ciprofloxacin, cimetidine, tobacco, omeprazole).