Article type: Literature Review
Article title: Phenomenology in craniofacial movement disorders: a narrative review
Journal: The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery
Year: 2026
Authors: Jamir Pitton Rissardo, Ana Leticia Fornari Caprara, Muhammad Hassan Waseem, Zain ul Abideen, Pawan Kumar Thada
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The study aims to broadly describe the phenomenology of craniofacial movement disorders and offer an overview for neurologists and practitioners. Its goal is to emphasize the underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of these conditions and how they affect patients' quality of life. Method: The study investigates disorders affecting craniofacial movement, including the face, jaw, tongue, palate, eyes, and ears. It covers a variety of movements and conditions, ranging from common issues like hemifacial spasm, blepharospasm, and myokymia to rarer conditions such as rabbit syndrome and tardive dyskinesia. The review sources include articles found via PubMed and Google Scholar, published up to December 2025. Findings: The most common craniofacial movement disorders are hemifacial spasm, blepharospasm, and myokymia. Less common conditions involve the ears, chin, and tongue, such as ear dyskinesia, geniospasm, and lingual dystonia. The study also notes these disorders' presence in patients with autoimmune conditions, with new terms like dystonic or dyskinetic stereotypies emerging. Furthermore, up to 10% of patients with functional movement disorders also experience craniofacial movement issues. Conclusion: Craniofacial movement disorders are often underdiagnosed, which can greatly affect patients' quality of life. Additional research is needed to improve diagnostic accuracy and better understand the variability in their phenotypes. These findings highlight the importance for clinicians to recognize these disorders to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.
Keywords: dystonia; motility disorders; movement disorders; ocular motility disorders; temporomandibular disorders; somatoform disorder.
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Citation
Rissardo JP, Fornari Caprara AL, Waseem MH, Abideen Z, Thada PK. Phenomenology in craniofacial movement disorders: a narrative review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg 2026;62:205. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-026-01257-3
Table 1. Summary of craniofacial movement disorders.
Table 2. Common craniofacial movement disorders according to anatomical region.
Table 3. Clinical features distinguishing common craniofacial movement disorders.
Table 4. Clinical features of essential, functional, and secondary palatal tremor.
Table 5. Common secondary causes requiring investigation.
Figure 1. Diagnostic algorithm for the evaluation of craniofacial movement disorders. The proposed approach begins with assessment of rhythmicity and subsequently evaluates movement quality, suppressibility, sensory tricks (geste antagoniste), laterality, and medication exposure. Key diagnostic considerations include tremor, myorhythmia, myokymia, myoclonus, chorea, tics, focal dystonia, hemifacial spasm, tardive dyskinesia, rabbit syndrome, and functional movement disorders.
Figure 2. Cranial movement disorders. OM, oromandibular.