M47. AKATHISIA AND ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTICS: EXPLORING ASSOCIATIONS TO SUICIDALITY AND AGITATION
Authors: Bjarke Jill , Gjerde Helga Nødland , Løberg Else-Marie , Jørgensen Hugo A , Kroken Rune A , Johnsen Erik 
Published: May 2020

Background

Antipsychotic associated akathisia is a highly relevant clinical phenomenon. The common side effect can be stigmatizing, cause subjective distress and depression, lead to medication noncompliance and be potentially disabling for patients with psychosis. Associations between akathisia and both suicide, depression and agitation has been suggested in research literature, but inconsistently. This study investigates the level of akathisia at hospital discharge/first follow-up for consecutively admitted patients with acute phase psychosis, comparing four atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) regarding the presence of akathisia, and explores possible associations between akathisia and both suicidality, depression and agitation.

Methods

This study is a sub-study of the Bergen Psychosis Project (BPP), a pragmatic, rater-blind, randomized trial comparing head-to-head ziprasidone, olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine. The present study reports cross-sectional data at discharge/first follow-up after acute admission to hospital for patients with psychosis. Patients were assessed with The Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). We applied the validated PANSS Excited Component (PANSS-EC) factor to assess agitation. The PANSS-EC consists of the five PANSS items: P4 Excitement, P7 Hostility, G4 Tension, G8 Uncooperativeness and G14 Poor impulse control. To assess depression in general and suicidality specifically we used the validated Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS).Furthermore the Clinical Global Impression – Severity Scale (CGI-S), and the patient-administered version of the UKU Side Effect Self-Rating Scale (UKU SERS Pat).

Results

A total of 109 patients were included of which 35 (32.1 %) were females, mean age was 34.0 (12.4). The mean total PANSS score was 54.9 (14.4), the mean CGI-S was 3.7 (1.1) and the mean total CDSS score was 3.9 (4.0). Our preliminary results show that a total of 58 (53.3%) patients had used antipsychotics before entering the study. Some level of akathisia was reported by ¼ of the patients, meaning a score of 1 or more on the UKU SERS Pat. There was a statistically significant difference between ziprasidone and olanzapine, with higher akathisia level in the ziprasidone group. Furthermore, there were statistically significant correlations between akathisia and suicidality and between akathisia and depression. We found no significant correlation between akathisia and the PANSS-EC factor or between akathisia and the PANSS general item G14 Poor impulse control. Statistical details will be presented on the poster.

Discussion

Our study shows that akathisia is a prevalent side effect in a clinically relevant sample of patients with acute phase psychosis treated with atypical antipsychotics. The prevalence of antipsychotic associated akathisia ranges widely across studies due to, among others, methodological heterogeneities and varieties in measurement tools. In our study, akathisia was significantly associated with both depression and suicidality. The finding of a significant correlation between akathisia and suicidality supports a previous finding that even a mild to moderate experience of akathisia in first episode patients had an increase in the likelihood to be suicidal. We found no relationship with agitation in our study. As akathisia may go unrecognized in clinical practice and may contribute to medication noncompliance, systematic assessment for symptoms of akathisia is warranted.

Conclusion

Akathisia is still a prevalent phenomenon in a substantial proportion of patients treated with atypical antipsychotics. Special attention is called for regarding the association towards suicidality.