Personification of plegic limb following right hemispheric stroke : A case report

J Korean Neurol Assoc > Volume 15(2); 1997 > Article

Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 1997;15(2): 368-376.

우반구 손상후에 발생한 마비된 팔에 대한 의인화 : 증례보고

권재철, 김경문, 나덕렬

삼성의료원 신경과, 경상대학교 의대 신경과

Personification of plegic limb following right hemispheric stroke : A case report

Jae Cheol Kwon M.D., Gyeong-Moon Kim, M.D., Duk L. Na, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Samsung Medical Center, Department of Neurology, Gyeonsang National University College of Medicine

Abstract

We report a case of 53-year-old woman with personification following right middle cerebral artery territory infarction. Although she knew that her paralyzed left limbs belonged to her, she behaved as if it is a separate person. Verbalization of hatred toward her left arm was frequently observed. She attributed her neurologic deficit to the left arm instead of herself, frequently complaining in a fashion that 'I(a person except for the left arm) am all right but he/she(left arm) is wrong'. This delusional beliefs were mainly confined to her paralysed left limb, and were accompanied by left spatial neglect, transient anosognosia for hemiplegia and right-left disorientation.