The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

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ArticleTitle	Diagonistic dyspraxia and alien hand sign
Language	J
AuthorList	Kazumi Hirayama
Affiliation	Department of Occupational Therapy, Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences
Publication	Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 26 (1), 27-34, 2010
Received
Accepted
Abstract	We mentioned clinical aspects and neuropsychological mechanisms of 3 symptoms which called as "alien hand sign": signe de la main étrangère, compulsive manipulation of tools and diagonistic dyspraxia, and described a patient who exhibited diagonistic dyspraxia. A patient with Marchiafava-Bignami disease showed, in addition to signs of callosal interruption, a peculiar form of diagonistic dyspraxia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed demyelination in the genu, body, and anterior splenium of the corpus callosum. His right hand could start a commended action with the cooperation of his left hand. However, once the action completed, his left hand started an antagonistic action, undoing the result, with the cooperation of his right hand. Once this countermanding action was completed, the original action started again. These antagonistic actions repeated themselves alternately unless he was restrained. The patient's diagonistic dyspraxia occurred only in response to oral commands or by imitation. It was apparent in only bimanual manipulation of tools, main operation of which the left hand has performed repeatedly in daily life.
Keywords	corpus callosum, alien hand sign, diagonistic dyspraxia, Marchiafave-Bignami disease