Synonyms
Definition
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.
Cross-References
References and Readings
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.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hohler, A.D., de Leon, M.P. (2017). Akathisia. In: Kreutzer, J., DeLuca, J., Caplan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Clinical Neuropsychology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_438-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56782-2_438-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56782-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences