Alien Hand Syndrome

By Sally Oh

The sufferers of alien hand feel that they have no control over the move-ments of the 'alien' hand, but that, in-stead, the hand has the capability of acting independent of their conscious voluntary control.

Alien hands can perform complex acts such as undoing buttons, removing clothing, and manipulation of tools.

Symptoms

They are believing it "possessed" by some intelligent or alien spirit.

Affected hand is viewed as "way-ward" and sometimes "disobedient" and generally out of the realm of their own voluntary control, while the unaffected hand is under normal volitional control.

“Alien Hand Syndrome”?

Due to damage in the me-dial motor frontal region of the brain.

Disconnection occurs be-tween different parts of the brain that are engaged in different aspects of the control of bodily move-ment.

Result of damage to cor-pus callosum as the brain's e-mail server.

Brain Function of Alien Hand

Karen Byrne • Victim of

‘Alien Hand Syndrome’

• Both left hand and leg

• Karen had surgery at 27 , which had dominated her life since she was 10.

• Her surgeon cut her corpus callosum.

•  Suffered for 18 years.

• Found a medi-cation

Movie

• “Dr. Strangelove or : How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb”

• Wheelchair-bound nuclear war expert and former Nazi.

• 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIBBDuQrd-I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwMsXL_YUEo