What are General Movements?

This fact sheets provides an overview of General Movements. The young nervous system endogenously generates a variety of motor patterns such as startles, general movements, isolated limb movements, twitches, yawns, and breathing movements. General Movements are the most effective early movement pattern to use for the functional assessment of the young nervous system. Abnormalities of General Movements in young infants may be markers of more widespread injury to the brain, the overt signs and symptoms of which may evolve over time.