How to Diagnose Alien Hand Syndrome

There are many strange diseases and syndromes in the medical field, but one of the most unusual and disturbing to the patient is alien hand syndrome (AHS). This is the name of a dysfunction in which one hand takes on a life of its own. It may sound amusing, but it's a serious and unfortunate disease seriously disrupting the life of the one suffering from it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Recognize the main characteristic of this condition. One of your hands acts on its own, performing tasks with purpose and the ability to accomplish them. This usually occurs in the arms and hands, although it's possible to affect your legs, also. If you are right-handed, it's likely to affect the left hand and vice versa.
2. Note that the person suffering from AHS refuses to acknowledge the affected limb belongs to him. He'll claim that an external force is causing the actions and does not accept it as his own. Again, the movement is purposeful, as opposed to certain other neurological dysfunctions in which there is movement not directed at performing an actual task.
3. Be aware the affected hand may attempt to harm someone with AHS. It may try to strangle, scratch and hit the victim among other damaging actions. The hand usually has very good motor skills, enabling it to perform complex tasks. People with AHS may be seen trying to control the affected limb with their good hand.
4. Visit an AHS specialist. There are a number of tests administered to correctly diagnose this syndrome. The patient may be asked to perform a movement with one hand and the opposite hand tries to counter-act it. Often the hand does the opposite of what the AHS sufferer wills it to do: he tries to push something and the hand pulls it towards him instead.
5. Have an MRI performed. This pinpoints the cause of AHS. It's usually caused by lesions in the part of the brain connecting the two cerebral hemispheres (the corpus collasum) or injury to the frontal lobe. This can be caused by stroke, brain infection or injury or brain tumors.