Which is a treatment option for akathisia?

• A. Benzodiazepines
• B. Haloperidol
• C. Clozapine
• D. Lithium

Answer: (A)

Akathisia is a subjective sense of inner restlessness and an urge to move, often arising as an extrapyramidal side effect from dopamine D2 blockade by antipsychotics. The quickest and most effective way to relieve this distress is with a benzodiazepine, because these drugs enhance GABAergic inhibition in the brain, producing rapid calming of both the inner restlessness and the accompanying motor agitation. This rapid anxiolytic and sedating effect helps diminish the persistent urge to move and the uncomfortable agitation that characterizes akathisia.

Haloperidol, while useful for psychosis, actually contributes to akathisia by blocking dopamine receptors, so it’s not a treatment for this condition. Clozapine tends to have a lower risk of extrapyramidal symptoms, but it is an antipsychotic and not used specifically to treat akathisia. Lithium addresses mood stabilization rather than motor restlessness, so it isn’t appropriate for this issue.

So, the best option to treat akathisia among these choices is a benzodiazepine.