Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) Form - Fill Out and Use This PDF

The Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) is a 14-item clinical rating tool used to monitor involuntary movements in patients taking antipsychotic medications. Developed by the National Institute of Mental Health, it helps detect tardive dyskinesia and other drug-induced movement disorders. Clinicians rate each movement on a 5-point scale from 0 (no movement) to 4 (severe). Regular AIMS screenings are recommended every 3 to 6 months for patients on long-term antipsychotics. See also the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for broader psychiatric evaluation.

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Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) Form PDF Details

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

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		ABNORMAL INVOLUNTARY MOVEMENT SCALE (AIMS)
Public Health Service				NAME:__________________________________________
Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration				DATE: _____________________________
National Institute of Mental Health				Prescribing Practitioner: ___________________________
						CODE:				0 = None
										1 = Minimal, may be extreme normal
INSTRUCTIONS:										2 = Mild
Complete Examination Procedure (attachment d.)										3 = Moderate
before making ratings										4 - Severe
MOVEMENT RATINGS: Rate highest severity observed. Rate					RATER						RATER					RATER					RATER
movements that occur upon activation one less than those observed
spontaneously. Circle movement as well as code number that					Date						Date					Date					Date
applies.
Facial and	1.	Muscles of Facial Expression			0 1 2 3 4						0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4
Oral		e.g. movements of forehead, eyebrows
Movements		periorbital area, cheeks, including frowning
		blinking, smiling, grimacing
	2.	Lips and Perioral Area			0 1 2 3 4						0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3				4
		e.g., puckering, pouting, smacking
	3.	Jaw e.g. biting, clenching, chewing, mouth			0	1	2	3	4		0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4
		opening, lateral movement
	4.	Tongue Rate only increases in movement
		both in and out of mouth. NOT inability to			0 1 2 3 4						0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3				4	O 1 2 3 4
		sustain movement. Darting in and out of
		mouth.
	5.	Upper (arms, wrists,, hands, fingers)
		Include choreic movements (i.e., rapid,
Extremity		objectively purposeless, irregular,
Movements		spontaneous) athetoid movements (i.e., slow,			0	1	2	3	4		0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4
		irregular, complex, serpentine). DO NOT
		INCLUDE TREMOR (i.e., repetitive,
		regular, rhythmic)
	6.	Lower (legs, knees, ankles, toes)
		e.g., lateral knee movement, foot tapping,
		heel dropping, foot squirming, inversion and			0	1	2	3	4		0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4	0	1	2	3	4
		eversion of foot.
Trunk	7.	Neck, shoulders, hips e.g., rocking,			0	1 2		3 4			0	1 2		3 4		0	1 2		3 4		0	1 2		3 4
Movements		twisting, squirming, pelvic gyrations
	8.	Severity of abnormal movements overall			0 1 2 3 4						0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4
Global	9.	Incapacitation due to abnormal			0 1 2 3 4						0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4					0 1 2 3 4
Judgments		movements
	10.	Patient’s awareness of abnormal
		movements. Rate only patient’s report
		No awareness	0		0						0					0					0
		Aware, no distress	1			1						1					1					1
		Aware, mild distress	2				2						2						2				2
		Aware, moderate distress	3					3						3						3				3
		Aware, severe distress	4						4						4					4					4
	11.	Current problems with teeth and/or
Dental Status		dentures			No			Yes			No			Yes		No			Yes		No			Yes
					No			Yes			No			Yes		No			Yes		No			Yes
	12.	Are dentures usually worn?
					No			Yes			No			Yes		No			Yes		No			Yes
	13.	Edentia?
					No			Yes			No			Yes		No			Yes		No			Yes
	14.	Do movements disappear in sleep?

Final: 9/2000

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Fill out the AIMS assessment PDF online using our PDFinity® editor. The editor works on any device and lets you complete, save, and download the form in minutes. Follow these steps to get started:

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Stage number 1 in filling out aims assessment

2. After completing the first section, insert the required details in the extremity movement fields: lateral movement, tongue rate, upper arm and wrist movements, lower leg and knee movements, and trunk movements including neck, shoulder, and hip areas. Also complete the Global Judgments section covering the severity of abnormal movements and the patient's awareness of those movements.

Tips on how to complete aims assessment portion 2

Take care to review the severity of abnormal movements section before finalizing, as errors here are the most common mistake when completing the AIMS form.

3. In this final step, fill out the dental status fields: current problems with teeth or dentures, whether dentures are usually worn, edentulous status, and whether movements disappear during sleep. Mark each Yes or No response carefully.

aims assessment completion process detailed (step 3)

Step 3: Before submitting the file, confirm that all form fields have been completed correctly. Once everything looks right, click "Done." With a 7-day free trial account, you can download the aims assessment PDF or email it right away. FormsPal uses a secure system that never records or shares your sensitive information. Need a related tool? Explore the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Scale for functional capacity assessment.

Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) Form - Fill Out and Use This PDF

Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) Form PDF Details

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