Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Stereotypies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Movement Disorders Curricula

Abstract

Stereotypies are defined as coordinated, patterned, repetitive, rhythmic, and seemingly purposeless movements that can occur involuntarily or in response to or induced by inner sensory stimulus or unwanted feeling (involuntary). Stereotypies are classically described in children with autism or autism spectrum disorders but stereotypies are also seen in healthy children as part of normal development and in adults in association with a wide variety of disorders, such as tardive dyskinesia. The pathophysiological mechanisms of stereotypies are not well understood, but antidopaminergic drugs such as tetrabenazine may be quite effective in controlling this hyperkinetic movement disorder.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Ahrens EN, Lerman DC, et al. Further evaluation of response interruption and redirection as treatment for stereotypy. J Appl Behav Anal. 2011;44(1):95–108.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Aliane V, Perez S, et al. Raclopride or high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus stops cocaine-induced motor stereotypy and restores related alterations in prefrontal basal ganglia circuits. Eur J Neurosci. 2012;36(9):3235–45.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Aliane V, Perez S, et al. Cocaine-induced stereotypy is linked to an imbalance between the medial prefrontal and sensorimotor circuits of the basal ganglia. Eur J Neurosci. 2009;30(7):1269–79.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. American, Psychiatric, et al. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-V. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Amir RE, Van den Veyver IB, et al. Rett syndrome is caused by mutations in X-linked MECP2, encoding methyl-CpG-binding protein 2. Nat Genet. 1999;23(2):185–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Athens ES, Vollmer TR, et al. An analysis of vocal stereotypy and therapist fading. J Appl Behav Anal. 2008;41(2):291–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Bachara GH, Phelan WJ. Rhythmic movement in deaf children. Percept Mot Skills. 1980;50(3 Pt 1):933–4.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Baghdadli A, Pascal C, et al. Risk factors for self-injurious behaviours among 222 young children with autistic disorders. J Intellect Disabil Res. 2003;47(Pt 8):622–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Baizabal-Carvallo JF, Stocco A, et al. The spectrum of movement disorders in children with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. Mov Disord. 2013;28(4):543–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bodfish JW, Symons FJ, et al. Varieties of repetitive behavior in autism: comparisons to mental retardation. J Autism Dev Disord. 2000;30(3):237–43.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bonnet C, Roubertie A, et al. Developmental and benign movement disorders in childhood. Mov Disord. 2010;25(10):1317–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Boyd BA, McDonough SG, et al. Evidence-based behavioral interventions for repetitive behaviors in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(6):1236–48.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Bozeat S, Gregory CA, et al. Which neuropsychiatric and behavioural features distinguish frontal and temporal variants of frontotemporal dementia from Alzheimer’s disease? J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2000;69(2):178–86.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  14. Burke RE, Kang UJ, et al. Tardive akathisia: an analysis of clinical features and response to open therapeutic trials. Mov Disord. 1989;4(2):157–75.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Canales JJ, Graybiel AM. A measure of striatal function predicts motor stereotypy. Nat Neurosci. 2000;3(4):377–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Carcani-Rathwell I, Rabe-Hasketh S, et al. Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours in pervasive developmental disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006;47(6):573–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Carter P, Downs J, et al. Stereotypical hand movements in 144 subjects with Rett syndrome from the population-based Australian database. Mov Disord. 2010;25(3):282–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Castellanos FX, Ritchie GF, et al. DSM-IV stereotypic movement disorder: persistence of stereotypies of infancy in intellectually normal adolescents and adults. J Clin Psychiatry. 1996;57(3):116–22.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chok JT, Koesler B. Distinguishing obsessive-compulsive behavior from stereotypy: a preliminary investigation. Behav Modif. 2014;38(3):344–73.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Compton MT, Fantes F, et al. Abnormal movements in first-episode, nonaffective psychosis: dyskinesias, stereotypies, and catatonic-like signs. Psychiatry Res. 2015;226(1):192–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Cunningham AB, Schreibman L. Stereotypy in autism: the importance of function. Res Autism Spectrosc Disord. 2008;2(3):469–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Duerden EG, Card D, et al. Self-injurious behaviours are associated with alterations in the somatosensory system in children with autism spectrum disorder. Brain Struct Funct. 2014;219(4):1251–61.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Duerden EG, Oatley HK, et al. Risk factors associated with self-injurious behaviors in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. J Autism Dev Disord. 2012;42(11):2460–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Edwards MJ, Lang AE, et al. Stereotypies: a critical appraisal and suggestion of a clinically useful definition. Mov Disord. 2012;27(2):179–85.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Fahn S, Jankovic J, Hallett M. Stereotypies. Principles and practice of movement disorders. Elsevier. 2nd ed. 2011. p. 380–8.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Fasano A, Evans AH. Is punding a stereotypy? Mov Disord. 2013;28(3):404–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Fasano A, Petrovic I. Insights into pathophysiology of punding reveal possible treatment strategies. Mol Psychiatry. 2010;15(6):560–73.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Fazzi E, Lanners J, et al. Stereotyped behaviours in blind children. Brain Dev. 1999;21(8):522–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. FitzGerald PM, Jankovic J, et al. Rett syndrome and associated movement disorders. Mov Disord. 1990;5(3):195–202.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Francis A. Catatonia: diagnosis, classification, and treatment. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2010;12(3):180–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Freeman RD, Soltanifar A, et al. Stereotypic movement disorder: easily missed. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2010;52(8):733–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ghosh D, Rajan PV, et al. A comparative study of primary and secondary stereotypies. J Child Neurol. 2013;28(12):1562–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Goldman S, Temudo T. Hand stereotypies distinguish Rett syndrome from autism disorder. Mov Disord. 2012;27(8):1060–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Goldman S, Wang C, et al. Motor stereotypies in children with autism and other developmental disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2009;51(1):30–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Gross AN, Richter SH, et al. Cage-induced stereotypies, perseveration and the effects of environmental enrichment in laboratory mice. Behav Brain Res. 2012;234(1):61–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Harris KM, Mahone EM, et al. Nonautistic motor stereotypies: clinical features and longitudinal follow-up. Pediatr Neurol. 2008;38(4):267–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Jankovic J. Stereotypies. In: Marsden CD, Fahn S, editors. Movement disorders. 3rd ed. London: Butterworth Heinemann; 1994. p. 501–17.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Jankovic J. Tardive syndromes and other drug-induced movement disorders. Clin Neuropharmacol. 1995;18(3):197–214.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Jankovic J. Tourette’s syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2001;345(16):1184–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Jankovic J. Tics and stereotypies. In: Freund HJ, Jeannerod M, Hallett M, Leiguarda R, editors. Higer-order motor disorders. Oxford England: Oxford University Press; 2005. p. 383–96.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Jankovic J. Leg stereotypy disorder. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2016;87(2):220–1.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Jimenez-Shahed J, Jankovic J. Tetrabenazine for treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs. 2013;1:423–36.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Katzenschlager R. Dopaminergic dysregulation syndrome in Parkinson’s disease. J Neurol Sci. 2011;310(1-2):271–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Kenney C, Jankovic J. Tetrabenazine in the treatment of hyperkinetic movement disorders. Expert Rev Neurother. 2006;6(1):7–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. King BH, Hollander E, et al. Lack of efficacy of citalopram in children with autism spectrum disorders and high levels of repetitive behavior: citalopram ineffective in children with autism. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2009;66(6):583–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Lalli JS, Livezey K, et al. Functional analysis and treatment of eye poking with response blocking. J Appl Behav Anal. 1996;29(1):129–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  47. Lancioni GE, Singh NN, et al. An overview of behavioral strategies for reducing hand-related stereotypies of persons with severe to profound intellectual and multiple disabilities: 1995–2007. Res Dev Disabil. 2009;30(1):20–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. Landa R, Garrett-Mayer E. Development in infants with autism spectrum disorders: a prospective study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006;47(6):629–38.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Landa RJ, Gross AL, et al. Developmental trajectories in children with and without autism spectrum disorders: the first 3 years. Child Dev. 2013;84(2):429–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  50. Le WP., Sayana et al. Animal models of Parkinson’s disease: a gateway to therapeutics? Neurotherapeutics. 2014;11(1):92–110.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Leekam S, Tandos J, et al. Repetitive behaviours in typically developing 2-year-olds. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007;48(11):1131–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Loftin RL, Odom SL, et al. Social interaction and repetitive motor behaviors. J Autism Dev Disord. 2008;38(6):1124–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. MacDonald R, Green G, et al. Stereotypy in young children with autism and typically developing children. Res Dev Disabil. 2007;28(3):266–77.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Mahone EM, Bridges D, et al. Repetitive arm and hand movements (complex motor stereotypies) in children. J Pediatr. 2004;145(3):391–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Mateen FJ, Josephs KA. The clinical spectrum of stereotypies in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Mov Disord. 2009;24(8):1237–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. McGonigal A, Chauvel P. Prefrontal seizures manifesting as motor stereotypies. Mov Disord. 2013;29:1181.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Mendez MF, Shapira JS, et al. Stereotypical movements and frontotemporal dementia. Mov Disord. 2005;20(6):742–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Miller JM, Singer HS, et al. Behavioral therapy for treatment of stereotypic movements in nonautistic children. J Child Neurol. 2006;21(2):119–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Ming X, Brimacombe M, et al. Prevalence of motor impairment in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Dev. 2007;29(9):565–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Mitchell S, Brian J, et al. Early language and communication development of infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2006;27(2 Suppl):S69–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Morrens M, Hulstijn W, et al. Stereotypy in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2006;84(2-3):397–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  62. Muthugovindan D, Singer H. Motor stereotypy disorders. Curr Opin Neurol. 2009;22(2):131–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  63. Niehaus DJ, Emsley RA, et al. Stereotypies: prevalence and association with compulsive and impulsive symptoms in college students. Psychopathology. 2000;33(1):31–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Nyatsanza S, Shetty T, et al. A study of stereotypic behaviours in Alzheimer’s disease and frontal and temporal variant frontotemporal dementia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003;74(10):1398–402.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  65. Oakley C, Mahone EM, et al. Primary complex motor stereotypies in older children and adolescents: clinical features and longitudinal follow-up. Pediatr Neurol. 2015;52(4):398–403. e391.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  66. Ondo WG. Tetrabenazine treatment for stereotypies and tics associated with dementia. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2012;24(2):208–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  67. Osterling JA, Dawson G, et al. Early recognition of 1-year-old infants with autism spectrum disorder versus mental retardation. Dev Psychopathol. 2002;14(2):239–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  68. Ozonoff S, Losif AM, et al. A prospective study of the emergence of early behavioral signs of autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2010;49(3):256–66. e251-252.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  69. Patel N, Jankovic J, et al. Sensory aspects of movement disorders. Lancet Neurol. 2014;13(1):100–12.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  70. Prioni S, Fetoni V, et al. Stereotypic behaviors in degenerative dementias. J Neurol. 2012;259(11):2452–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  71. Rafaeli-Mor N, Foster L, et al. Self-reported body-rocking and other habits in college students. Am J Ment Retard. 1999;104(1):1–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  72. Rapp JT, Vollmer TR. Stereotypy I: a review of behavioral assessment and treatment. Res Dev Disabil. 2005;26(6):527–47.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  73. Robinson S, Woods M, et al. Intense Imagery Movements (IIM): more to motor stereotypies than meets the eye. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2016;20(1):61–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  74. Sallustro F, Atwell CW. Body rocking, head banging, and head rolling in normal children. J Pediatr. 1978;93(4):704–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  75. Samaco RC, Neul JL. Complexities of Rett syndrome and MeCP2. J Neurosci. 2011;31(22):7951–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  76. Sanger TD, Chen D, et al. Definition and classification of hyperkinetic movements in childhood. Mov Disord. 2010;25(11):1538–49.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  77. Singer HS. Motor stereotypies. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2009;16(2):77–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  78. Smith EA, Van Houten R. A comparison of the characteristics of self-stimulatory behaviors in “normal” children and children with developmental delays. Res Dev Disabil. 1996;17(4):253–68.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  79. Snowden JS, Bathgate D, et al. Distinct behavioural profiles in frontotemporal dementia and semantic dementia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001;70(3):323–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  80. Spencer AH, Rickards H, et al. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of punding in Parkinson’s disease. Mov Disord. 2011;26(4):578–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  81. Stacy M, Cardoso F, et al. Tardive stereotypy and other movement disorders in tardive dyskinesias. Neurology. 1993;43(5):937–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  82. Tan A, Salgado M, et al. The characterization and outcome of stereotypical movements in nonautistic children. Mov Disord. 1997;12(1):47–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  83. Tanimura Y, King MA, et al. Development of repetitive behavior in a mouse model: roles of indirect and striosomal basal ganglia pathways. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2011;29(4):461–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  84. Temudo T, Ramos E, et al. Movement disorders in Rett syndrome: an analysis of 60 patients with detected MECP2 mutation and correlation with mutation type. Mov Disord. 2008;23(10):1384–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  85. Troster H, Brambring M, et al. Prevalence and situational causes of stereotyped behaviors in blind infants and preschoolers. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1991;19(5):569–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  86. Turner CA, Presti MF, et al. Spontaneous stereotypy in an animal model of Down syndrome: Ts65Dn mice. Behav Genet. 2001;31(4):393–400.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  87. Waln O, Jankovic J. An update on tardive dyskinesia: from phenomenology to treatment. Tremor Hyperkinet Mov (NY) 2013;3.

    Google Scholar 

  88. Yang ML, Fullwood E, et al. Masturbation in infancy and early childhood presenting as a movement disorder: 12 cases and a review of the literature. Pediatrics. 2005;116(6):1427–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  89. Zhou L, Goff GA. Effects of increased response effort on self-injury and object manipulation as competing responses. J Appl Behav Anal. 2000;33(1):29–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, 7200 Cambridge Street, Suite 9A, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Subhashie Wijemanne MD, MRCP & Joseph Jankovic MD

Authors
  1. Subhashie Wijemanne MD, MRCP
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Joseph Jankovic MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph Jankovic MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University, Brasov, Romania

    Cristian Falup-Pecurariu

  2. Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Lisbon, Portugal

    Joaquim Ferreira

  3. National Center of Epidemiology and CIBERNED, Carlos III Institute of Health, Madrid, Spain

    Pablo Martinez-Martin

  4. Centre of Excellence, King’s College London, National Parkinson Foundation Centre of Excellence King’s College, London, United Kingdom

    Kallol Ray Chaudhuri

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer-Verlag Wien

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wijemanne, S., Jankovic, J. (2017). Stereotypies. In: Falup-Pecurariu, C., Ferreira, J., Martinez-Martin, P., Chaudhuri, K. (eds) Movement Disorders Curricula. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1628-9_41

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-1628-9_41

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-7091-1627-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-7091-1628-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation