AIMS (tardive dyskinesia severity)
Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (Guy 1976): the 7-area involuntary-movement total (0-28) plus a global severity, screening for tardive dyskinesia.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Facial expression muscles
- 2
- Jaw
- 2
- Global severity
- 2 — mild
Result: AIMS movement total 4/28 (global severity 2/4): movements meet the commonly cited threshold for probable tardive dyskinesia (>= 2 in two or more areas, or >= 3 in one).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Movement total
- sum of the seven movement items (facial/oral 1-4, extremity 5-6, trunk 7), each 0-4; range 0-28. A separate global severity is rated 0-4.
- Threshold
- moderate (>= 2) movements in two or more areas, or severe (>= 3) in any one, is a commonly cited threshold for probable tardive dyskinesia.
What you enter
- Facial expression muscles (0-4)
- Lips and perioral area (0-4)
- Jaw (0-4)
- Tongue (0-4)
- Upper extremity (0-4)
- Lower extremity (0-4)
- Trunk (0-4)
- Global severity (0-4)
How this is calculated
Guy W. ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology: Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). Rockville, MD: US DHEW, NIMH; 1976:534-537. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.