Akathisia and Restless Legs

This volume provides the first comprehensive account of the scientific and clinical aspects of akathisia and related syndromes such as restless legs syndrome (RLS), other forms of motor restlessness, and neuroleptic-induced dysphoria. The main focus is on drug-induced akathisia and its various subtypes. The author explores its relationship to the restlessness caused by other neurological disorders, presents a new synthesis of the pathophysiological mechanisms of akathisia, and provides arguments for new operational criteria for the research diagnosis of drug-induced akathisia. Strategies for the measurement of akathisia are also discussed, as are treatment approaches. The book will be particularly useful for psychiatrists, neurologists, and other physicians seeking a better understanding of these disabling syndromes.