A 46-year-old man with chronic schizophrenia treated with haloperidol for eight years develops repetitive lip smacking, chewing and choreoathetoid movements of his tongue. Which instrument is MOST appropriate to quantify these movements objectively?

• A Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)
• B Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) ✓
• C Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)
• D Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale for akathisia

Explanation

The AIMS was designed specifically to detect and grade tardive dyskinesia, scoring abnormal movements of the face, lips, jaw, tongue, trunk and limbs from 0 to 4 per region. The PANSS rates psychotic symptoms and does not capture involuntary movements. Option D describes akathisia, an inner restlessness rather than the observed orofacial choreoathetosis, so it does not fit the presentation described here.

Reference: Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, 12th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.