Background: Parakinesia brachialis oscitans (PBO) is a rarely reported phenomenon in which a paretic limb moves involuntarily during yawning. The literature consists predominantly of case reports and small series, with limited comparative evidence. Methods: We conducted a PRISMA-ScR-guided scoping review of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to 28 August 2026, with backward citation searching. Eligible reports described one or more patients with an involuntary, stereotyped, yawn-locked movement of a paretic limb after a focal central nervous system lesion, with the lesion site reported on neuroimaging. Data included demographics, movement description, latency, lesion site, etiology, and outcome. Results: Twenty-two reports describing 31 patients met the inclusion criteria. Most patients were men (67.7%), with a mean age of 56.1 years. PBO involved the upper limb alone in 29 patients (93.5%). Acute ischemic stroke was the most common etiology (83.9%). Lesions were often seen in the internal capsule (44.4%) and the corona radiata or subcortical white matter (40.7%). Onset ranged from immediate to four months after the lesion. Complete resolution was documented in 10 patients (32.3%), PBO persisted for up to three years in five, and outcome was not reported in 15 (48.4%). Discussion: PBO is associated with focal lesions affecting distributed voluntary motor-control networks, frequently involving subcortical motor pathways. Although no mechanism has been established, the observations suggest a release of preserved brainstem and extrapyramidal circuits. Outcome was unreported in almost half the cases; prospective, standardized reporting is needed to clarify its course and prognostic significance. Highlights This scoping review gathered 22 reports describing 31 patients with PBO after a focal brain injury. PBO involved the upper limb alone in 29 patients and lesions were most commonly subcortical, involving the internal capsule. Onset ranged from presentation to four months and PBO persisted for up to three years. However, the outcome was not reported in half of the included cases.
Objectives: To characterize the geographic and molecular spectrum of genetically confirmed VPS13A disease across India and examine patterns of delay to tertiary evaluation. Methods: We conducted a multicentre retrospective study across eight tertiary movement disorder centres in India. Clinical, investigational, genetic, treatment, and follow-up data were collected. Results: Eighteen unrelated patients from eight tertiary centres were included. Chorea was the most common initial manifestation (10/18), and 8/18 patients were evaluated more than five years after symptom onset. Longer intervals to tertiary evaluation were descriptively more frequent among patients with non-choreic presentations, particularly seizures. Twenty-three distinct VPS13A variants were identified, predominantly loss-of-function variants, including apparently novel variants and two variants recurring in unrelated patients. Conclusion: VPS13A disease in this multicentre Indian cohort demonstrated substantial molecular heterogeneity, including apparently novel and recurrent variants. Longer intervals to tertiary evaluation were descriptively more frequent among patients with non-choreic presentations, particularly those with seizures, highlighting that clinicians need to maintain a high degree of suspicion for VPS13A even in such presentations.
