Akathisia: an overlooked, distressing, but treatable condition.

Akathisia is an easily treatable but often overlooked extrapyramidal symptom induced by neuroleptic drugs. It causes the patient severe distress due to the feeling of inner disquiet and the inability to sit still or to lie quietly. A case of a demented uncommunicative patient is presented to show its subtlety of diagnosis and to call attention of the possibility of akathisia to any "uncomfortable" patient who is on neuroleptic drugs. The author feels that a therapeutic trial with antiparkinsonian drug is warranted if the case for akathisia is in doubt.