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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
05:52
Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
[Psychogenic spastic hand]
1Unité de Chirurgie de la Main, Hôpital Cantonal Universitaire, Genève, Suisse.
Annales De Chirurgie De La Main Et Du Membre Superieur : Organe Officiel Des Societes De Chirurgie De La Main = Annals of Hand and Upper Limb Surgery
|January 1, 1996
Summary
Psychogenic hand spasms, often linked to depression, present in distinct types. Diagnosis requires excluding other causes, and surgery is not recommended, with spontaneous recovery being rare.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Hand Surgery
Background:
- Psychogenic hand spasms are rare conditions.
- They can manifest with varied clinical presentations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on a series of patients with psychogenic hand spasms.
- To characterize different types of psychogenic hand spasms.
- To discuss diagnostic and treatment approaches.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case series of twelve patients over 8 years.
- Clinical presentation, psychiatric diagnosis (DSM-III-R), and diagnostic workup were reviewed.
- Electromyographic studies were used to exclude other etiologies.
Main Results:
- Two types of psychogenic hand spasms were identified: Type I (elderly, medial finger flexion) and Type II (various attitudes post-trauma).
- Common psychiatric diagnoses included major recurrent depression and personality disorders.
- Surgical treatment was ineffective; spontaneous recovery was uncommon.
Conclusions:
- Psychogenic hand spasm is a diagnosis of exclusion requiring a multidisciplinary team.
- Surgical intervention is contraindicated.
- Psychiatric comorbidities significantly influence the condition.
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