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Related Experiment Videos

The alien hand: cases, categorizations, and anatomical correlates.

Lisa A Scepkowski1, Alice Cronin-Golomb

  • 1Boston University, MA 02215, USA.

Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews
|March 10, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Alien-hand sign involves an upper limb acting without volitional control. This review examines clinical features, neuroanatomy, and subtypes of alien-hand syndrome, suggesting improved assessment methods.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Alien-hand sign is a neurological disorder where a limb acts autonomously.
  • It is characterized by complex motor activities beyond volitional control.
  • Existing literature presents varied clinical presentations and neuroanatomical correlates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical characteristics and neuroanatomical damage in over 50 alien-hand sign cases.
  • To evaluate existing subtypes (frontal, callosal, posterior) and their neuropathological basis.
  • To suggest improvements in categorization and assessment methods for alien-hand phenomena.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of over 50 published case reports of alien-hand sign.
  • Analysis of clinical behaviors, neuroimaging findings, and lesion locations.
  • Evaluation of the dual premotor system theory in relation to observed phenomena.

Main Results:

  • Alien-hand sign encompasses phenomena with frontal, callosal, and posterior subtypes.
  • Frontal and callosal subtypes are linked to premotor area dysfunction.
  • The posterior subtype is associated with damage to parietal or other posterior brain regions.

Conclusions:

  • The heterogeneity in assessment methods hinders clear subtype definition for alien-hand phenomena.
  • Further standardization of behavioral and neuroimaging assessments is needed.
  • Refined categorization and assessment are crucial for understanding alien-hand syndrome.

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