Partial persistent recovery of voluntary motility by auto-training in a clinical case of fingers paresis: A case report

In the paretic left hand of an eighty years old man only fingers flexion was voluntary possible and movement of extension, adduction or abduction needed mechanical help. After ten years, when fingers had progressively slightly more curled up, the subject discovered that voluntary movements of adduction and abduction became easily possible just by pressing the hand on a flat surface. Persistent voluntary hand motility was then partially obtained through specific self-trained exercise. The increase in the abduction angle was easily measured with a proctor and this is proposed as a simple clinical test to assess the improvement due to training. The case is analytically described.