Parakinesia: A Delphi consensus report

Early-onset catatonia associated with SHANK3 mutations: looking at the autism spectrum through the prism of psychomotor phenomena

“…For example, the analysis of the conditions of occurrence of immediate echolalia would allow a better understanding of its different meanings, and to consider in some cases, that it could be a utilisation behaviour similar to proskinesia ( 128 , 129 ). In addition, use of video could facilitate the evaluation of parakinesias by allowing an a posteriori re-examination of psychomotricity by cutting the sound ( 64 , 65 ). We believe that this approach is necessary to disentangle the symptomatic overlap between catatonia and autism.…”

“…According to the WKL school, system catatonia is due to a dysfunction of the psychomotor centers and therefore results in qualitative abnormalities of psychomotricity. Parakinetic catatonia is characterised by parakinesias, i.e., extremely variable involuntary movements that are not spontaneously perceived by the subject, and which distort his psychomotricity, giving the impression of strangeness (64,65). Such parakinesia can take the form of "pseudoexpressive" movements (a fleeting mimicry characterised by a "smiling" facial expression that is not congruent with the emotional state), "pseudoreactive" movements (a shrug of the shoulders or brief body swaying induced by the excitement of an interview) or "pseudo-dystonic" movements ("snout spasms").…”