What is Alien Hand Syndrome?

Alien hand syndrome is a very rare neurological syndrome. Individuals experiencing this syndrome severely lose control of one of their hands, and the functions of one hand become completely involuntary. In short, the person does another job, not the job he intends to do consciously.

To give an example, the person; After turning off the light, some situations arise such that the uncontrolled hand turns on the light and this situation is repeated continuously and the person has no possibility to turn off the light. But even worse than that is that the hand that works completely involuntarily exhibits some inappropriate behavior. In this situation, the person may slap someone or take actions that cause even worse physical harm.

The problem faced here arises from the miscommunication in the two hemispheres of the brain. Serious damage to the corpus callosum, which communicates with the two hemispheres of the brain, may cause foreign hand syndrome. This damage can usually occur in cases of brain aneurysms, brain infection, stroke, and surgical operation in which the two brain hemispheres are completely separated.

What are the Causes of Foreign Hand Syndrome?

The main cause of the syndrome is that the brain region that controls the hands and called the Primary Motor Cortex is completely isolated from the Premotor Cortex. In this situation, active communication of the two regions of the brain is interrupted. As a result, one hemisphere of the brain works under the individual’s own control and the other unconsciously.

The left hemisphere of the brain controls the right side, while the right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side. In other words, the lobes of the brain and the halves where the body is controlled are completely opposite.

Normally, there is a section called the corpus callosum that acts as a bridge between the two hemispheres, and this bridge allows the two hemispheres to communicate with each other actively and continuously. When this bridge is broken, one of the brain hemispheres adds a sense of consciousness to the real, while the other continues to work out of consciousness. This situation causes the person to have foreign hand syndrome.

What are the Symptoms of Foreign Hand Syndrome?

People caught with foreign hand syndrome can stop the hand they lost control with thanks to their other hands. This syndrome, which seems quite unusual at first, can turn into a fatal condition in a short time. To give an example, a case called self-criticism is also encountered in these people: People with this disorder can slap or punch themselves when they are not satisfied with them at all. In extreme cases, it is known that if a person becomes depressed, this person can suffocate himself. In addition, such situations can be applied in case of dislike or excessive disgust for spouses, children or acquaintances, and may cause these people to be killed involuntarily.

The only solution to this discomfort, which makes you feel threatened even while sleeping, is to be aware of this situation at all times and to make yourself feel psychologically well. Stranger hand syndrome, which has the potential to make unconscious movements every moment of the day, often causes some situations such as opening and closing drawers, opening and closing the buttons of the shirt. The only and most important symptom of the disease is the feeling that the limb is foreign. According to researches, sudden loss of strength in the arm, slight jumps in the hand areas, and psychological disorders in vision trigger this syndrome. Individuals with one or all of these symptoms should definitely consult a doctor. Considering that the hand will not harm the person at the beginning of the disease, as the state of the disease, is one of the most important situations that will provide relief. This disease, which has no cure in medicine, may prevent some situations that will be experienced when it is noticed early. Although there is a symptom related to a foreign hand, regular visits to the doctor will help manage the symptoms to some extent. If discomfort is present as a result of these symptoms, the therapies applied or to be applied are positively supportive. Today, as a solution to this ailment, it is aimed to make the bridge that provides the communication of the left and right lobes, namely the area called the corpus collosum, but has not been successful yet.

Treatment Options in Foreign Hand Syndrome

There is no known cure for foreign hand syndrome. Because pharmacological options and treatments for foreign hand syndrome do not show any improvement. However, scientists are working on some treatments to reduce the symptoms of the syndrome. People who suffer from foreign hand syndrome after a stroke or brain disease may recover after a while. Besides, recovery is much less successful for people with neurodegenerative diseases. This condition can be treated or managed by the administration of neuromuscular blocking agents and muscle control therapies such as botulinum toxin. Benzodiazepines have been successful in some cases, but behavioral techniques appear to be much more useful.

Cognitive therapy techniques, learning task behavioral therapies, and mirror box therapy can provide great help in managing symptoms. Visoospatial coaching techniques can also help with this. Sometimes one tries to restrain the alien by hiding their hands under their legs or sitting on them. Sometimes people may find it helpful to hold an object in a foreign hand to avoid performing tasks.

A treatment option can be given to an individual or another person caught with this syndrome, with verbal commands to stop the actions taken or to be done. However, this method does not allow to obtain very long-term results. For this reason, a doctor can only recommend occupational and physical treatments for foreign hand syndrome.