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My mind goes on random tangents during class. This can be good, bad, or neutral, but almost always interesting for my personal understanding of what we're talking about.

After talking about the "I-function" I immediately wondered about how Alien Hand Syndrome and Lesch-Nyhan syndrome come into play. For those not familiar with either, I can explain to the best of my ability:

-Alien Hand Syndrome: Essentially, Alien Hand Syndrome is a neurological disorder where one of the individual's hands seems to take on a mind of its own. This has been best documented in surgery patients who have had the two hemispheres of the brain separated, a measure sometimes taken to relieve the symptoms of extreme forms of epilepsy. The individual still has normal sensation in the affected limb, but feels a loss of agency or control over the actions that it takes. Alien hands can perform complex acts such as undoing buttons, removing clothing, and manipulating tools. Alien behavior can be distinguished from reflexive behavior in that the former is flexibly purposive while the latter is obligatory. Sometimes the sufferer will not be aware of what the alien hand is doing until it is brought to his or her attention, or until the hand does something that draws their attention to its behavior [1].

-Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome: L-N is a rare inherited disorder caused by the lack of an enzyme, leading to a build up of uric acid in all body fluids, which can lead to complications including severe gout and kidney problems, poor muscle control, and moderate mental retardation. A striking feature of LNS is self-mutilating behaviors, characterized by lip and finger biting, that begin in the second year of life. Neurological symptoms include facial grimacing, involuntary writhing, and repetitive movements of the arms and legs similar to those seen in Huntington's disease. The direct cause of the neurological abnormalities remains unknown.

A great article, "An Error in the Code" by Richard Preston, was originally published in The New Yorker and a .pdf of it can be found here. 

The general idea is thus: How does the "I-function" work and, then, what happens when it goes wrong? Are these two syndromes related to the "I-function?"

What do you think?