Damage to the parietal cortex can also cause lack of awareness of movements due to loss of proprioceptive feedback or left hemineglect ( 3). It has been proposed that lesions in the parietal cortex result in isolated activation of the contralateral primary motor area due to its release from the intentional planning systems. However, in patients with alien hand syndrome, only isolated activation of the contralateral primary motor cortex is observed ( 3). In normal individuals, initiation of motor activity shows activation of multiple extensive neural networks. Functional MRI has been used to study brain activity in patients with alien hand syndrome ( 3). Lesions implicated in causing alien hand syndrome include those in the corpus callosum and/or posterior parietal cortex, supplementary motor area, and the anterior cingulate cortex. Alien hand as a manifestation of cardioembolic stroke is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. The syndrome has been reported after surgery on the corpus callosum and with brain tumors, aneurysms, degenerative diseases of the brain, and uncommonly stroke. Recent usage of the term “alien hand” is more liberal and requires having observable involuntary motor activity along with the feeling that the limb is foreign or that it has a will of its own ( 2). It describes involuntary complex goal-directed activity of one limb. Strangelove syndrome, is an interesting situation in which a person loses control of his or her hand, which starts to act independently. Her anticoagulation was resumed, and she was discharged home with advice to maintain anticoagulation at all times.Īlien hand syndrome, or Dr. A diagnosis of stroke possibly due to cardioembolism was made. She gradually gained normal control of the left side over the next 6 hours. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms did not show any evidence of thrombus. In the hospital, a computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed acute infarcts in both parietal lobes. Her husband helped her to the car to take her to the hospital, and he noted that she was dragging her left leg while walking. She later noted that her left upper limb was numb and slightly weak when she regained control. She did not have any control of the left hand for almost 30 minutes as it continued to make purposeful movements. Her attempts to control the left hand with the right hand were unsuccessful. Her left hand stroked her face and hair without her will. Two days later, while watching television, she noted her left hand flinging across her visual field. No bridging with low-molecular-weight heparin was done. A 77-year-old woman with chronic atrial fibrillation had her anticoagulation stopped temporarily for spine surgery.

Keep hands off synonym