Structured relaxation in the treatment of akathisia: case series
Structured relaxation in the treatment of akathisia: case series
Purpose: Akathisia remains a common side effect especially from antipsychotic medication.
If the condition is diagnosed the management options are limited.
Subjects/methodology: We tested a structured relaxation program on nine patients with a
diagnosis of schizophrenia suffering from akathisia. All patients were rated on Barnes Akathisia
Scale (BAS) before the relaxation program, immediately after and again one week later.
Results: The mean BAS score was before the relaxation 3.3 which reduced to 1.4 immediately
after to finally 1.0 a week later. A Wilcoxon signed ranks test revealed a significant reduction in
BAS score from baseline to endpoint (P = 0.026; Z = -2.232) and a highly significant reduction
from baseline to follow-up (P = 0.008; Z = -2.636).
Discussion: Although the study has a number of limitations the relaxation program appears
to be a promising alternative to traditional treatment of akathisia. The patients appreciated the
relaxation session but none of them managed to carry it out on their own without professional
encouragement. The findings in this case series warrant further investigation with larger numbers
of patients.
akathisia, relaxation, antipsychotic drugs, schizophrenia
269-271
Hansen, Lars K.
c07afee9-a9d5-4d89-9703-2a603a23b8fe
L'Allemand, Thomas
6c0e9df3-b0a8-479b-8051-009785da5641
Thiry, Francine
67fb8c9b-5a40-42dc-8ee4-4162abeda8fc
Baldwin, David S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
24 May 2010
Hansen, Lars K.
c07afee9-a9d5-4d89-9703-2a603a23b8fe
L'Allemand, Thomas
6c0e9df3-b0a8-479b-8051-009785da5641
Thiry, Francine
67fb8c9b-5a40-42dc-8ee4-4162abeda8fc
Baldwin, David S.
1beaa192-0ef1-4914-897a-3a49fc2ed15e
Hansen, Lars K., L'Allemand, Thomas, Thiry, Francine and Baldwin, David S.
(2010)
Structured relaxation in the treatment of akathisia: case series.
Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 6, .
Abstract
Purpose: Akathisia remains a common side effect especially from antipsychotic medication.
If the condition is diagnosed the management options are limited.
Subjects/methodology: We tested a structured relaxation program on nine patients with a
diagnosis of schizophrenia suffering from akathisia. All patients were rated on Barnes Akathisia
Scale (BAS) before the relaxation program, immediately after and again one week later.
Results: The mean BAS score was before the relaxation 3.3 which reduced to 1.4 immediately
after to finally 1.0 a week later. A Wilcoxon signed ranks test revealed a significant reduction in
BAS score from baseline to endpoint (P = 0.026; Z = -2.232) and a highly significant reduction
from baseline to follow-up (P = 0.008; Z = -2.636).
Discussion: Although the study has a number of limitations the relaxation program appears
to be a promising alternative to traditional treatment of akathisia. The patients appreciated the
relaxation session but none of them managed to carry it out on their own without professional
encouragement. The findings in this case series warrant further investigation with larger numbers
of patients.
Text
f_NDT-9810-structured-relaxation-in-the-treatment-of-akathisia-case-se_052410_6402.pdf
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More information
Published date: 24 May 2010
Keywords:
akathisia, relaxation, antipsychotic drugs, schizophrenia
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 157497
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/157497
ISSN: 1176-6328
PURE UUID: 10b347ee-76ed-4b3d-9046-eb5ac98c903d
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Date deposited: 07 Jun 2010 14:16
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:38
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Contributors
Author:
Lars K. Hansen
Author:
Thomas L'Allemand
Author:
Francine Thiry
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