Treatment of neuroleptic-induced akathisia with propranolol: A controlled replication study.

12 male schizophrenic inpatients (aged 26–55 yrs) with neuroleptic-induced akathisia were treated with either propranolol or placebo for 2 days. This was followed by a treatment crossover phase for 5 more days. Patients were rated on an akathisia rating scale at baseline and on Days 2 and 7. Raters and patients were blind to treatment. Propranolol (120 mg/day) was well tolerated and was more effective than placebo in reducing akathisia. However, the antiakathisia effect of propranolol may require several days of treatment as indicated by the advantage of the 5-day treatment over the 2-day treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)