Alien hand syndrome is caused by damage to the connection between the left and right brain hemispheres, resulting in a hand that appears to have a mind of its own. It is often caused by stroke, infection, degenerative brain disorders, or traumatic brain injury. Treatment involves giving the alien hand something to grasp or some activity to do. Aggressive acts are rare, but it can be frustrating for the person affected.
Alien hand syndrome or Dr. Strangelove syndrome is an unusual medical condition most often caused by damage to the connection between the left and right brain hemispheres. This can occur through surgery. In rare cases, brain splitting may be proposed to treat epilepsy that is unresponsive to more traditional drug therapy. Alternatively, stroke, infection, degenerative brain disorders, or traumatic brain injury separates or damages the connection between the hemispheres.
In alien hand syndrome, the affected person feels that a hand has “a mind of its own” and that the hand appears to be beyond voluntary control. May do things in opposition to the other hand’s actions, grab things, need to be kept busy, or keep busy without intentional thought on the part of the person. While this condition is often horror movie fodder, the affected hand is unlikely to intentionally commit violence or start writing disturbing messages. Rather, his actions are relatively benign and simply out of the person’s control. Treatment for this condition generally involves giving the alien hand something to grasp or some activity to do to prevent it from performing unwanted actions.
Where the injury or damage occurs to the brain determines which hand will be affected and how it will present with alien hand syndrome. A right-handed person, who has specific injuries or damage to the corpus collusum, the part of the brain that connects to the two hemispheres, can cause alien hand syndrome in the left hand. Lesions in the front of the brain can cause alien hand syndrome in the dominant right hand.
A hand acting intentionally and perhaps aggressively beyond the patient’s control – aggressive could be defined as undoing buttons, grabbing things and sometimes tearing clothes – usually suggests significant injury to different parts of the brain via degenerative diseases, stroke or a brain tumor. Again, it’s important to understand that aggressive rarely means violent. However, even without violent acts, it is very difficult for the person with alien hand syndrome to be attached to a limb they cannot control.
In most cases, the person can still sense what the hand is doing and can experience sensations with the hand. This can be distracting and frustrating. Anything the person tries to do with the hand under his control can be hindered or simply difficult to do with the other hand acting on its own and sending all kinds of nerve signals to the brain. Depending on where and how the brain injury occurs, some people are able to regain some conscious control over the affected hand. Others simply have to adjust to alien hand syndrome, a frustrating and infuriating obstacle.
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