Repetitive Movements
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Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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Content updated on Mar 7, 2024

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  • Unintentional and repetitive muscle movements such as head shaking or nodding

  • Motor stereotypies such as head shaking, nodding

  • Shaking face without meaning

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About the Symptom

Stereotypic movement disorder is a condition in which a person engages in repetitive, often rhythmic, but purposeless movements. The exact cause is usually unknown but movements tend to increase if the person is stressed, frustrated, or bored. Some things which have been known to cause the disorder are certain physical conditions, head injuries, and certain drugs (such as cocaine).

When to see a doctor

Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms

  • Repetitive movements

Related serious diseases

Sometimes, Repetitive movements may be related to these serious diseases:

  • West syndrome (infantile spasm)

    A type of epilepsy (recurrent seizures) that occurs in young children. These are more commonly called infantile spasms (IS) because they are seen most often in the first year of life, typically between ages 4 and 8 months. They often look like a sudden bending forward of the body with stiffening of the arms and legs lasting for one to two seconds; some children arch their backs as they extend their arms and legs. Spasms tend to happen when the infant wakes up, and often happen in many clusters, with hundreds of seizures per day. It results from damage to the developing brain, with various causes like chromosomal abnormalities (e.g. Down's syndrome), brain malformations, or brain infections.

Doctor's Diagnostic Questions

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:

  • Do you have repetitive head movements such as shaking or nodding?

  • Do you have a fever?

  • Do you have headaches or a heavy feeling in your head?

  • Do you struggle to focus or feel less aware of your surroundings?

  • Do you feel any numbness or altered sensation?

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Find Similar Symptoms

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References

  • Jankovic J, Hallett M, Okun MS, Comella C, Fahn S, Goldman J. Stereotypies. In: Jankovic J, Hallett M, Okun MS, Comella C, Fahn S, Goldman J, eds. Principles and Practice of Movement Disorders. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 16.

  • Ryan CA, Walter HJ, DeMaso DR. Motor disorders and habits. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 37

  • Singer HS, Mink JW, Gilbert DL, Jankovic J. Motor stereotypies. In: Singer HS, Mink JW, Gilbert DL, Jankovic J, eds. Movement Disorders in Childhood. 2nd ed. Waltham, MA: Elsevier Academic Press; 2016:chap 8.

Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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