Thursday, November 09, 2006
Alien Hand Syndrome
Alien hand syndrome, sometimes known as anarchic hand or Dr. Strangelove syndrome, was first identified in 1908 however it was not formally defined or understood until 1972. It is an unusual neurological disorder in which one of the sufferer's hands seems to take on a mind of its own. The hand will move with out the will of the sufferer. The movements may be random or purposeful, and may affect the dominant or non-dominant hand.

Alien Hand Syndrom occurs most often in cases where a person has had the two hemispheres of his brain surgically separated, a procedure sometimes used to relieve the symptoms of extreme cases of epilepsy. It may also manifest after head trauma, stroke, tumor, or infection.

Currently, there is no cure for Alien Hand Syndrome.

image: Sculture by Takeshi Yamada.


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Written by J. Tithonus Pednaud
Link to this Human Marvels article
3 comments
3 Comments:
Blogger Ruth said...
Are the six digits on the hand in the picture part of the syndrome?
2:01 PM  
No, and I didn't even notice that. The sculpture is called 'alien hand', but does not really have anything to do with the syndrome.

I just needed a pic of an interesting hand and this came up.

The artists actually has quite the reputation for gaff making (fake freaks of nature).
8:33 PM  
Anonymous Jack said...
"Alien Hand Syndrome" sounds very cool. It sounds much better than "ghost hand syndrome" or Devil's guiding hand syndrome". LOL Just curious but how many people in America are suffering from the "alien hand syndrome" and causing car accidents?

Dr. Takeshi Yamada creates mummified taxidermy artworks of 6-fingered hand and 7-fingered hand as the part of his "Museum of World Wonders: Cabinet of Curiosities". He makes curiosity taxidermy gaffs such as Chupacabra, Fiji mermaids, human shrunken heads, fossilized fairies, Mongolian giant death worms, dragons, Vampire monkeys, etc. Yamada uses both synthetic man-made materials and real animal carcasses to create his "rogue taxidermy" artworks. He is a member of Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermy.

http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/members_detail.php?id=528

Yamada is currently featured in "Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermais” exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, NY (until January 6, 2008) and “Museum of World Wonders: Cabinet of Curiosities” exhibition at Coney Island Library in Brooklyn, NY.

I live in NYC and saw his awesome exhibitions and attended his live art demonstartion on June 24 at the American Museum of Natural History. He will give art lecture on July 10 at AMNH.
9:03 PM  
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