Are Occupation based intervention based on involve bilateral hand use such as in folding laundry, effective treatment for Alien Hand Syndrome?
In my clinical fieldwork I saw a 19 year-old girl who suffered from Alien Hand Syndrome. She had been bedridden for 2 years. She had seizure in the past where her left hand wrapped around her neck and strangled her. She had to loosen it with her free hand, finger by finger, until it released and she was left staring at a hand that suddenly didnt feel like her own.
Alien Hand Syndrome, also referred to as anarchic hand or Magnetic apraxia, is the involuntary functioning of the hand caused by a rare neurological disorder as an aftermath of brain damage. The brain damage can be as a result of a stroke, brain infection, brain trauma, or after a brain surgery. There are various subtypes of anarchic hand which are brought about by different injuries to the brain. Alien Hand Syndrome symptoms vary according to which part of the brain has been damaged. An individual affected by this type of ailment perceives that the hand alien and is not part of their anatomy. As much as there is sensation on the limb the patients dissociate themselves from the hand. They are of the opinion that the inexplicable movements are brought about by spirits or ghosts (Sarva, Deik, and Severt, 2014). In other instances the patients personify the hand by giving it a name or even hold a conversation with it.
Since its discovery, there has been no known breakthrough on how to treat the estranged hand or how to restore control over its functionality. It can be a hindrance to the Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) as well as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs). Occupational Therapists are advised to disarm the disease by giving the hand something to grope to satisfy the primitive tactile aspect of it. Place a type of mitten garment on the estranged hand or place the hand in the patients pocket to limit its movement (Sarva, Deik, and Severt, 2014). Visualization tactics are effective in mentally helping the patient to practice use of both hands, so the hand is placed within the focal range of the individual. Continuous support and reassurance to the affected individuals, as well as their family by telling them AHS will eventually end with recovery is also an effective form occupational therapy.
Are Occupation based intervention based on involve bilateral hand use such as in folding laundry, effective treatment for Alien Hand Syndrome?
