Alien hand syndrome

Alien Hand Syndrome (pronunciation: AY-lee-uhn hand SIN-drohm) is a rare neurological disorder characterized by the loss of control over one's hand, which appears to act independently of the person's will. The etymology of the term is derived from the Latin alienus meaning "of another" and the Old English hand.

Definition

Alien Hand Syndrome (AHS) is a condition in which a person experiences their limbs acting seemingly on their own, without control over the actions. This is due to the lack of usual consciousness and control over the affected limbs.

Symptoms

The primary symptom of Alien Hand Syndrome is the involuntary movement of a person's hand or arm. This can include reaching for objects, manipulating them, or even self-inflicted injuries. The person with AHS often feels a sense of disassociation with the alien hand.

Causes

The exact cause of Alien Hand Syndrome is unknown. However, it is often associated with other neurological conditions such as stroke, brain tumor, Alzheimer's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. It is also seen in some cases following corpus callosotomy, a surgical procedure to treat severe epilepsy.

Treatment

There is no known cure for Alien Hand Syndrome. Treatment typically involves managing the symptoms and may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, and in some cases, medication.

Related Terms

• Neurology
• Consciousness
• Disassociation
• Stroke
• Brain tumor
• Alzheimer's disease
• Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
• Corpus callosotomy
• Epilepsy
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Alien hand syndrome
• Wikipedia's article - Alien hand syndrome

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