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Related Experiment Videos

The alien hand sign. Localization, lateralization and recovery.

G Goldberg1, K K Bloom

  • 1Department of Physiology Temple University School of Medicine Pennsylvania.

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
|October 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

Alien hand sign involves involuntary limb movements due to frontal lobe damage. This study links alien hand sign to specific medial frontal cortex lesions and proposes a dual premotor systems hypothesis for motor recovery after stroke.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neurology
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • The alien hand sign is characterized by a patient's feeling of estrangement from their own hand, which exhibits involuntary, seemingly purposive movements.
  • This phenomenon is often associated with frontal lobe damage and can include grasp reflexes and magnetic apraxia.

Observation:

  • Four new cases of alien hand sign are presented, affecting either the right or left hand in right-handed subjects.
  • Clinical findings consistently linked these alien hand behaviors to extensive unilateral damage in the medial frontal cortex contralateral to the affected hand.

Findings:

  • Alien hand movements gradually resolve over 6-12 months post-stroke.
  • The study supports the dual premotor systems hypothesis, suggesting alien hand behavior arises from unconstrained lateral premotor system activity in the damaged hemisphere.

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Implications:

  • Understanding alien hand sign mechanisms offers insights into motor control and recovery after brain injury.
  • The findings highlight the role of medial and lateral premotor systems in volitional movement and the potential for compensatory mechanisms in stroke recovery.