β2-receptor density on mononuclear blood cells in patients suffering from neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA)

The effectiveness of β-blockers in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced akathisia (NIA) suggests that β-adrenergic overactivity is involved in the manifestation of NIA. As an approach to understanding this postulated overactivity, we investigated the β2-receptor density on mononuclear blood cells in 21 patients suffering from NIA as well as in 12 patients without NIA. The β2-receptor density in NIA-positive patients was significantly higer than that in NIA-negative patients (t = 2.84; p = .008). The NIA-positive patients were treated with 20 mg propranolol t.i.d. for 5 days. The β2-receptor density in treatment responders did not differ significantly from that in non-responders. Our results indicate that β2-receptors on mononuclear cells in patients with NIA may be of a certain degree of importance. With the prerequisites of replicability as well as correlation of this parameter with therapeutic success of β-blockers, it may be considered as a predictor for treatment response.