Anatomy and Disorders of Motor Awareness

Motor awareness is the acknowledgement of (i) one's motor state while executing a movement or remaining still and (ii) one's motor abilities. The integrated contribution of different networks involving the parietal cortex, medial and lateral frontal regions, and subcortical structures gives rise to motor awareness. The damage to these structures or their disconnection results in a number of motor awareness disorders, such as the well-known Anosognosia for hemiplegia and apraxia, and the Anarchic Hand Syndrome. The deficit of motor awareness may also be present in other disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, Tics, and Tourette's Syndrome.