Distinguishing acute and tardive akathisia by monitoring microvibration: a pilot study.

Abstract

One acute and one tardive akathisia patients, respectively, and 10 neuroleptic-treated schizophrenic patients were injected with biperiden 5 mg or saline and the response to anticholinergics was monitored by microvibration (MV) as an indicator of muscle tonus. These data were subjected to the Fast Fourier Transform and an averaged power spectrum was computed. The biperiden injection markedly reduced the power spectral values of MV in acute akathisia. In contrast with acute akathisia, the biperiden injection significantly increased the power spectral values of MV in tardive akathisia. The subjective feelings of akathisia patients were parallel to the power spectral values of MV. Control patients were not affected by such treatment. The present findings show that the subjective symptoms of akathisia can be well defined by the objective, differential response to anticholinergics in a manner similar to the visible extrapyramidal symptoms (dystonia, dyskinesia) induced by neuroleptics.

• Authors: T Nishikawa, H Kuwahara, A Tsuda, M Tanaka, I Koga, Y Uchida
• Journal: The Japanese journal of psychiatry and neurology (Jpn J Psychiatry Neurol) Vol. 46 Issue 3 Pg. 665-72 (Sep 1992) ISSN: 0912-2036 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 1362589 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Biperiden

Topics

• Acute Disease
• Adult
• Akathisia, Drug-Induced (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Antipsychotic Agents (adverse effects, therapeutic use)
• Biperiden (administration & dosage)
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Female
• Humans
• Injections, Intramuscular
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Muscle Tonus (drug effects)
• Schizophrenia (drug therapy)
• Schizophrenic Psychology
• Vibration