Antipsychotic-withdrawal akathisia versus antipsychotic-induced akathisia: further evidence for the existence of tardive akathisia.

The authors present a study in which 33 chronic schizophrenic patients who, when withdrawn from antipsychotic drug treatment for more than 2 weeks, presented with concurrent signs of akathisia and tardive dyskinesia; however, signs of akinesia, facial masking, rigidity, or dystonia were not concurrent with the patients' akathetic presentation. In a subsequent study phase, these patients were treated with antipsychotics for up to 6 weeks. The dyskinetic signs that had been dramatically more severe in those patients exhibiting akathisia following withdrawal from antipsychotic medication continued for up to 6 weeks following the renewal of antipsychotic drug therapy. These findings help to confirm a relationship between tardive dyskinesia and a persistent akathisia of later onset known as tardive akathisia.