AKATHISIA IN ADULTS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION - DEVELOPMENT OF THE AKATHISIA RATINGS OF MOVEMENT SCALE (ARMS)

We developed an akathisia rating scale for use with persons who have m ental retardation and screened for the occurrence of akathisia in thre e samples: 66 adults receiving maintenance neuroleptic treatment, 20 a dults not receiving neuroleptics, and 8 adults undergoing neuroleptic dose reduction. The scale had an acceptable level of interrater reliab ility and validly measured group differences related to neuroleptic tr eatment status. Using an empirically derived cut-off score, we estimat ed the prevalence rate for akathisia to be 5% in neuroleptic-free subj ects, 17% in neuroleptic-maintenance subjects, and 25% in neuroleptic- reduction subjects. Akathisia, dyskinesia, and stereotypy manifested a s qualitatively different movement topographies. The occurrence of dys kinesia stereotyped movement disorder was associated significantly wit h an increased occurrence of akathisia.