akathisia

English

Alternative forms

• acathisia

Etymology

From a- + Ancient Greek κάθισις (káthisis, “sitting”) + -ia. See also κᾰθῐ́ζω (kathízō, “to sit down”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æ.kə.ˈθɪ.si.ə/

Noun

akathisia (countable and uncountable, plural akathisias)

1. (medicine) A sensation of restlessness characterized by an inability to sit still/down or remain motionless/seated, arising from a subjective need or desire to move, often coinciding with the sensation of twitching of muscles, often as a side effect of psychiatric medications.
   • 1903, American Medical Association, The Journal of the American Medical Association‎^[1], volume 40, section 1, page 544:

     Haskowic first described this condition last November and applied the term "Akathisia" to it. The subject can seat himself and remain seated a few minutes, but then the contortions begin, and unless he gets up he suffers actual torture.

   • 1973, Arthur Osol, Robertson Pratt, The United States Dispensatory‎^[2], volume 27, J.B. Lippincott Company, page 305:

     Central Nervous System Effects: Neuromuscular (extrapyramidal) reactions: These are usually dosage-related and may be of three forms: (1) pseudoparkinsonism, (2) akathisia (motor restlessness), and (3) dystonias.

Derived terms

• akathisic

 

Translations

sensation of restlessness characterized by an inability to sit still

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 失靜症／失静症 (shījìngzhèng), 失靜症／失静症 (shījìngzhèng)

• Finnish: akatisia
• Portuguese: acatisia f