Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Research diagnostic criteria for drug-induced akathisia: conceptualization, rationale and proposal

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper argues for consistency in the conceptualization and definition of drug-induced akathisia (DIA), something found lacking in published research reports. It suggests the adoption of a common set of provisional categories with operationally defined diagnostic criteria. The categories proposed are acute, tardive, withdrawal and chronic DIA, with overlap of chronic DIA with the other three. The prerequisites for diagnosis are drug exposure, the presence of characteristic clinical features and the exclusion of non-drug causes. The frequency of the clinical features, and their nature, determine the level of certainty. A decision regarding severity is made independently of diagnostic certainty. Some ways of testing the usefulness and validity of these definitions are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price includes VAT (Canada)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adler LA, Angrist B, Peselow E et al. (1985) Efficacy of propranolol in neuroleptic-induced akathisia. J Clin Psychopharmacol 5:164–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Adler LA, Angrist B, Reiter S, Rotrosen J (1989) Neuroleptic-induced akathisia: A review. Psychopharmacology 97:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Ayd FJ (1961) A survey of drug-induced extrapyramidal reactions. JAMA 175:1054–1060

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes TRE (1989) A rating scale for drug-induced akathisia. Br J Psychiatry 154:672–676

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnes TRE, Braude WM (1985) Akathisia variants and tardive dyskinesia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 42:874–878

    Google Scholar 

  • Bernick C (1988) Methysergide-induced akathisia. Clin Neuropharmacol 11:87–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Braude W, Barnes TRE, Gore SRE (1983) Clinical characteristics of akathisia: a systematic investigation of acute psychiatric inpatient admissions. Br J Psychiatry 143:139–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke RE, Kang UJ, Fahn S (1987) Tardive akathisia: motor phenomena and treatment. Neurology 37 [suppl 1]:124–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Burke RE, Kang UJ, Jankovic J et al. (1989) Tardive akathisia: an analysis of clinical features and response to open therapeutic trials. Mov Disord 4:157–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrazana E, Rossitch E Jr, Martinez (1989) Unilateral “akathisia” in a patient with AIDS and a toxoplasmosis subthalamic abscess. Neurology 39:449–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Dufresne RL, Wagner RL (1988) Antipsychotic-withdrawal akathisia versus antipsychotic-induced akathisia: further evidence for the existence of tardive akathisia. J Clin Psychiatry 49:435–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Editorial (1986) Akathisia and antipsychotic drugs. Lancet 2:1131–1132

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekbom KA (1960) Restless legs syndrome. Neurology 10:868–873

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleischhacker WW, Bergmann KJ, Perovich T et al. (1989) The Hillside Akathisia Scale: a new rating instrument for neuroleptic-induced akathisia. Psychopharmacol Bull 26:222–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibb WRG, Lees AJ (1986a) The clinical phenomenon of akathisia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 49:861–866

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibb WRG, Lees AJ (1986b) The restless legs syndrome. Postgrad Med J 62:329–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Haskovec L (1902) Akathisie. Arch Bohemes Med Clin 3:193–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao JK, Bartko JJ, Potter WZ (1989) Diagnosing diagnoses: receiver operating characteristic methods and psychiatry. Arch Gen Psychiatry 46:664–667

    Google Scholar 

  • Kendler KS (1976) A medical student's experience with akathisia. Am J Psychiatry 133:4

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang AE (1989) Other hyperkinetic and paroxysmal movements. Curr Opin Neurol Neurosurg 2:334–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Lang AE, Johnson K (1987) Akathisia in idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Neurology 37:477–481

    Google Scholar 

  • Lees AJ (1990) Movement disorders in psychiatry. Curr Opin Neurol Neurosurg 3:342–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Lipinski JR Jr, Mallya A, Zimmerman P et al. (1989) Fluoxetine-induced akathisia: clinical and theoretical implications. J Clin Psychiatry 50:339–342

    Google Scholar 

  • Maany I, Dhopesh V (1990) Akathisia and fluoxetine. J Clin Psychiatry 51:210

    Google Scholar 

  • Maltbie AA, Cavenar JO Jr (1977) Akathisia diagnosis: an objective test. Psychosomatics 18:36–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Munetz MR, Cornes CL (1982) Akathisia, pseudoakathisia and tardive dyskinesia. Compr Psychiatry 23:345–352

    Google Scholar 

  • Munetz MR, Cornes CL (1983) Distinguishing akathisia and tardive dyskinesia: a review of the literature. J Clin Psychopharmacol 3:343–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers D (1992) Neuropsychiatry of movement disorders. Curr Opin Psychiatry 5:84–87

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachdev P (in press) A raling scale for drug-induced akathisia: development, reliability and validity. Biol Psychiatry

  • Sachdev P, Chee K-Y (1990) Pharmacological characterization of tardive akathisia. Biol Psychiatry 28:809–818

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachdev P, Loneragan C (1991) The present status of akathisia. J Nerv Ment Dis 179:381–389

    Google Scholar 

  • Schooler NR, Kane JM (1982) Research diagnoses for tardive dyskinesia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 39:486–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Stahl SM (1985) Akathisia and tardive dyskinesia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 42:912–917

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Putten T (1975) The many faces of akathisia. Comp Psychiatry 16:43–47

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neuropsychiatric Institute, The Prince Henry Hospital, PO Box 233, 2036, Matraville, NSW, Australia

    Perminder Sachdev

Authors
  1. Perminder Sachdev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sachdev, P. Research diagnostic criteria for drug-induced akathisia: conceptualization, rationale and proposal. Psychopharmacology 114, 181–186 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02245462

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02245462

Key words

Search

Navigation

-