PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Louise Wiblin
AU  - Joe Guadagno
TI  - Useless hand of Oppenheim: how to understand it
AID  - 10.1136/practneurol-2016-001494
DP  - 2017 Aug 04
TA  - Practical Neurology
PG  - practneurol-2016-001494
4099  - http://pn.bmj.com/content/early/2017/08/04/practneurol-2016-001494.short
4100  - http://pn.bmj.com/content/early/2017/08/04/practneurol-2016-001494.full
AB  - Hermann Oppenheim described the ‘Useless Hand’ in 1911 as a classical but uncommon presentation of multiple sclerosis, in which a hand loses useful function due to proprioceptive loss, with relatively preserved motor function. Light touch perception may be subjectively altered or can be relatively intact. The lesion is (usually) a demyelinating plaque in the posterior columns of the cervical spinal cord. Depending on its location, it may affect one limb, or if more central, may produce a bilateral (if asymmetrical) picture. This article reviews a clinical case, historical background, pathophysiology as well as examination tips to aid its recognition.