Akathisia is a movement condition where the patient feels a sense of restlessness, an inability to sit still and the urge to move. The most common cause of akathisia is a side effect of drugs including antipsychotics, antidepressants and antiemetics. Occasionally akathisia is induced as a withdrawal effect of certain drugs. Akathisia also can be seen in Parkinson-related conditions and untreated schizophrenia.

There are two aspects of akathisia the first is the sensory component which is the how the patient feels, the sensation of ‘wanting to jump out of their skin’ or in extreme cases 'sense of impending doom’. This inward discomfort can be relieved by body movement, often of lower limbs, and it is this movement component that is the second aspect of akathisia. In mild cases there may be just a small amount of body movement and in moderate cases the increased movement may involve shifting leg positions, crossing and uncrossing legs and pacing. In more severe cases the movements can affect the whole body.

Drugs used to treat Akathisia