Echopraxia

[1] Similar to echolalia, the involuntary repetition of sounds and language, it is one of the echophenomena ("automatic imitative actions without explicit awareness").

[1] It has long been recognized as a core feature of Tourette syndrome,[1] and is considered a complex tic, but it also occurs in autism spectrum disorders,[1][2] schizophrenia and catatonia,[1][3] aphasia, and disorders involving the startle reflex such as latah.

[5] The etymology of the term is from Ancient Greek: "ἠχώ (ēkhō) from ἠχή (ēkhē "sound") and "πρᾶξις (praksis, "action, activity, practice)".

[1] One theoretical cause subject to ongoing debate surrounds the role of the mirror neuron system (MNS), a group of neurons in the inferior frontal gyrus (F5 region) of the brain that may influence imitative behaviors,[1] but no widely accepted neural or computational models have been put forward to describe how mirror neuron activity supports cognitive functions such as imitation.

It is easier to distinguish in individuals over the age of five, because younger children frequently imitate others' actions.

Frontal lobe animation