A survey on frequency of drug-induced akathisia in psychiatric wards using two methods: clinical diagnosis and Barnes rating scale

Akathisia syndrome is one of the medication induced movement disorders that is found is patients who take neuroleptic drug. In this disorder the patients has an inner sense of restlessness and there are some restless movement in patient's limbs. Akathisia can cause drug noncompliance. To make a proper decision for treating the patients and using the best kinds of drugs, a proper rating scale for diagnosing akathisia should be determined. This cross sectional study was performed in descriptive – analytic style. Samples were 156 hospitalized patients who were on psychiatric drugs. For each patient two data collection forms were prepared. The first form involved questions about diagnosis and akathisia management by physicians. The second form involved Barnes rating scale for Akathisia (BARS). The data analysis was performed using SPSS, tests were t-student and statistical significance was assessed at the 5% alpha level. This study was performed in Noor, Farabi and Modares hospitals in the spring and summer of 1383 (2004) in Isfahan (Iran). Among 156 patients, akathisia was diagnosed in 15.4% by BARS scale and in 9.6% by physicians. There was significant difference between the diagnosis of Akathisia by BARS and the diagnosis by physicians. Among patients who had akathisia (in BARS), 29.2% had mild akathisia, 50% had moderate akathisia, 20.8% had marked akathisia Pseudoakathisia was diagnosed in 2.6% of 156 samples. All of the patients, who had akathisia, were taking Antipsychotic drug (83.3% Typical and 16.7% atypical antipsychotic). For treatment, the physicians reduced the dosage of antipsychotic drugs in 80% of the akathisia patients, and added a new drug for 60% of the patients and changed the antipsychotic drug for 20% of them. In our study, akathisia was diagnosed for 24 patients by BARS. But the physicians did not diagnose akathisia in some of these patients. This might have negative effects on treatment of the patients. Therefore, it's necessary to introduce the Barns akathisia rating scale (BARS) to all physicians and encourage them to apply in all wards to suspicious cases.