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Akathisia is a syndrome characterized by unpleasant sensations of inner restlessness that manifests itself with an inability to sit still or remain motionless.
Current Knowledge
It is most often seen as a side effect of medications, mainly neuroleptic antipsychotics. Patients may have difficulty describing their symptoms, leading to a misdiagnosis of anxiety and worsening of the condition upon treatment with neuroleptic antipsychotic agents. Several medications have been used to treat the condition, including benztropine and beta-blocking agents. Withdrawal of the offending agent is often most effective. It may be seen with Parkinson’s disease.
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Kumar, A., & Calne, D. (2004). Approach to the patient with a movement disorder and overview of movement disorders. In R. L. Watts, & W. C. Koller (Eds.), Movement disorders (2nd ed., p. 9). New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Hohler, A.D., Leon, M.P.d. (2011). Akathisia. In: Kreutzer, J.S., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_438
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79948-3_438
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