The case study of a patient showing compulsive manipulation of tools with the right leg

Abstract

  We report the patient that shown compulsive manipulation of tools with the right leg. The patient was a right handed and right-legged man in his 60s, who had graduated from high school. He had suffered a stroke in his left hemisphere resulting in lesions in medial prefrontal cortex, as well as the genu and sple nium of the corpus callosum. He displayed right hemiplegia. However, disorders of consciousness, aphasia, visuo-spatial disorders, or amnesia were not present. His right hand displayed compulsive manipulation of tools and left hand displayed pantomime apraxia. His right leg moved compulsively, when walking, when climbing stairs, when putting on shoes, and when kicking a ball. Tools used for the symptoms were limited to tools for treating leg. The symptoms were not present in the left leg. It is suggested that the left hand, which reflected his intentions, might control the compulsive movements of the right leg. It is possible that the symptoms of his right leg were identical to the characteristics of compulsive manipulation of tools with the hand. However, further investigations of the relationship between the observed symptoms and the le sion and the grasp reflection should be conducted in the future, in order to better understand.