Alien hand syndrome is a rare neurological syndrome. With uniquely unusual clinical symptomatology, alien hand syndrome may be produced ...SpotlightACTRIMSForum2021ClinicalFocusSeeAll>Dementia/AlzheimerEpilepsyHeadache/MigraineMovementDisordersMultipleSclerosisNeuromuscularSleepMedicineStrokeVideoSeriesCureConnectionsInsightsNewsNetworkPeerExchangeAdvertiseContactUsEditorialDoNotSellMyInformationTermsandConditionsPrivacyAdvisoryBoard©2021MJHLifeSciences™andNeurologyLive.Allrightsreserved.AlienHandSyndromeAugust17,2016HeidiMoawad,MDHeidiMoawad,MDAlienhandsyndrome,arareneurologicalsymptom,maybeproducedbyanumberofetiologiesandmorethanonespecificregionofcerebraldamage.Alienhandsyndromeisarareneurologicalsyndrome.Withuniquelyunusualclinicalsymptomatology,alienhandsyndromemaybeproducedbyanumberofetiologiesofcerebraldamageandmorethanonespecificregionofcerebraldamage.Symptomsanddiagnosisofalienhandsyndrome Alackofhandcontrolisthemostprominentsymptomofalienhand.Yetalienhandsyndromeinvolvesmorethanjustalackofhandcontrol.Theaffectedhandisnotweak,instead,thehandmaintainsnormalstrength,butitmaymoveinvoluntarily,withoutcognitivecontrolorawareness.Thehandmovementsarenotspasticorconvulsive,butarepurposefulandcoordinated.Individualswhosufferfromalienhandsyndrometypicallyexplainthatthehandseemstobecontrolledby‘someoneelse.’Normalmovementssuchaspickingupobjects,touchingtheface,andevendressingorundressing,areallcharacteristicsofalienhandsyndrome.Thedistinctivefeatureofalienhandsyndromeisthesufferer’scomplaintthatthese‘regular’handactionsareunintentional,unwanted,andunexpected.Diagnosiscanbeachallengebecausealienhandsyndrome,accordingtothecasereportsinthemedicalliterature,istrulyaneurologicaldisorderwithoutapsychiatriccomponent.Thiscanbeconfusingduringthediagnosticstage,particularlybecausetruepsychiatricdisordersandbehavioralissuesaremuchmoreprevalentamongpatientsthanisalienhandsyndrome,makingcomplaintsofa‘handmovingonitsown,’farmorelikelytobeaccuratelyexplainedbysomethingotherthanalien