Brief Report

Stereotypical movements and frontotemporal dementia

  1. Mario F. Mendez MD, PhD1,2,*,
  2. Jill S. Shapira RN, PhD1,
  3. Bruce L. Miller MD3

Article first published online: 22 MAR 2005

DOI: 10.1002/mds.20465

Issue

Movement Disorders

Movement Disorders

Volume 20, Issue 6, pages 742–745, June 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mendez, M. F., Shapira, J. S. and Miller, B. L. (2005), Stereotypical movements and frontotemporal dementia. Mov. Disord., 20: 742–745. doi: 10.1002/mds.20465

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles and Veterans Administration Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center, Los Angeles, California, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Neurology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

*Neurobehavior Unit (691/116AF), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare Center, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. 90073

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 31 MAY 2005
  2. Article first published online: 22 MAR 2005
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 12 NOV 2004
  4. Manuscript Revised: 5 OCT 2004
  5. Manuscript Received: 30 JUL 2004

Funded by

  • National Institute on Aging. Grant Number: AG19724-01
  • UCLA Alzheimer's Disease Center
  • State of California

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (61K)

Keywords:

  • stereotypical movements;
  • stereotypies;
  • frontotemporal dementia;
  • compulsions

Abstract

Stereotypical movements are characteristic of autism or mental retardation but can also occur in patients with dementia, particularly frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In this study, we administered the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) to 18 patients with FTD and to 18 patients with the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD). The AIMS scores were gathered at the initial presentation of patients who had not received antipsychotic medications. Compared to the AD patients, the FTD patients had significantly more stereotypical movements, including frequent rubbing behaviors and some self-injurious acts. All the FTD patients with stereotypical movements had compulsive-like behaviors, suggesting a similar pathophysiologic cause, and most had a decrease in their stereotypical movements with the administration of sertraline, a serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (61K)