Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : March 13, 2020 10:49 AM IST
There is no known cure for this problem yet. Most doctors try to treat the symptoms. @Shutterstock
The world is a strange place and the human body is even stranger. Every once in a while, you hear of some condition that can make you wonder if you have heard right. Just a few months back, we had a man whose gut was brewing alcohol. Then there have been cases of many mystery diseases that have perplexed health professionals over the centuries. Some diseases like the laughing death have died a natural death. But there are still many health conditions out there that borders on the bizarre. One such condition is the alien hand syndrome. If you have this condition, you literally have no idea what your hand is doing half the time.
First recorded in 1909, this is a neurological condition that impairs signal from the brain to the hand. As a result, your hand may act on its own and you may lose control over it. This is a dangerous thing because very often the hand may cause grievous injury to your person. It is also known as the Dr. Strangelove syndrome, Strangelovian hand or anarchic hand.
You may experience this strange condition if you suffer from a stroke, trauma or tumour. Sometimes, certain kinds of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and brain aneurysms may also cause this condition as can brain surgeries, especially those involving epilepsy. Experts say that lesions or damage in the parietal cortex is the reason behind this strange phenomenon.
It is not easy to promptly diagnose alien hand syndrome. It needs thorough observation and evaluation. It is often confused as a psychiatric disorder and not a neurological one. This makes things difficult for patients.
There is no known cure for this problem yet. Most doctors try to treat the symptoms. If this problem arises as a result of stroke or any other brain ailment, recovery may be possible. But if the cause is some neurodegenerative disease, then there may be no cure. Usually, muscle control therapies, behavioral techniques and neuromuscular blocking agents may be used by your doctor. Physical and occupational therapies also help to a great extent.
