The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) rates the severity of 14 types of involuntary movements in patients receiving antipsychotic medications. It evaluates movements across four body regions: facial (muscles around the eyes, lips, and lower face), oral (tongue, jaw, and lips), extremities (arms, wrists, hands, fingers, legs, knees, and toes), and trunk (neck, shoulders, and hips). Each area receives a score of 0 (no abnormal movement) to 4 (severe involuntary movement).
Clinicians use the AIMS form to screen for tardive dyskinesia (TD), a potentially irreversible movement disorder that can develop after long-term antipsychotic use. The American Psychiatric Association recommends a baseline AIMS assessment before starting antipsychotic therapy and follow-up assessments every 3 to 6 months. For patients with other movement disorders, the Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale provides a specialized tool for assessing cervical dystonia.
The form also includes a dental status section covering denture use, edentulous areas, and jaw problems, since oral conditions can affect the appearance of facial and oral movements during evaluation. For patients with broader functional limitations, clinicians often pair AIMS assessments with the Functional Movement Screen or the Lower Extremity Functional Scale to obtain a complete picture of movement capacity.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Form Name | Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale Form |
| Form Length | 1 pages |
| Fillable? | No |
| Fillable fields | 0 |
| Avg. time to fill out | 15 sec |
| Other names | aims test pdf, abnormal involuntary movement scale aims pdf, aims pdf, scale aims pdf |