A rating scale for acute drug-induced akathisia: development, reliability, and validity

This paper describes the process of developing a new rating scale for acute neuroleptic-induced akathisia. Previously reported clinical characteristics of akathisia were used to construct the initial version of the scale. This was administered to 100 consecutively admitted psychiatric patients treated with neuroleptic medication. The scale was then subjected to a reliability analysis, and the number of items reduced. A factor analysis of the ratings supported the decision to rate subjective and objective items separately. The new version of the scale (The Prince Henry Hospital Akathisia Rating Scale) was further standardized in its administration. A preliminary examination of its construct validity was performed by calculating the correlations with the ratings on the analogue and global scales, as well as those of depression, anxiety, and hyperactivity. The new scale was administered to 50 new subjects to examine its interrater reliability and concurrent validity with respect to the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale.