When transferred to the rehabilitation service 4 days later, he was noted to have left upper limb apraxia with involuntary movements. He stated, "my left hand has a mind of his own." He developed a tonic grasp reflex with inability to release. He also had a tendency to reach and grasp onto objects with the left hand, such as the telephone cord or the remote control for the television, and was unable to release despite verbal commands. He would persistently grab his comb or fix the collar of his shirt. He also demonstrated difficulty performing bimanual activities, such as eating. The patient's wife also expressed deep concern when her husband's left hand would publicly expose his genitals and begin masturbating. This occurred on many occasions when the patient was conversing with his caregivers and was confirmed by the authors on their daily rounds. The behavior was never seen to occur through the action of the right hand. The patient also denies any history of excessive self-stimulation, sexual dysfunction, or exhibitionism. During his hospital stay, the patient expressed frustration and dismay when he realized that he was masturbating publicly and with his inability to voluntarily release his grasp of objects in the left hand.

The patient's wife reported several occasions when his left hand would still act on its own. The patient once adjusted the thermostat with his left hand without realizing it. Another time, at a bingo game, his left hand unknowingly grabbed a chair and pulled it along as he walked to the bathroom. He was able to release the chair when his wife asked him to open his hand. The patient demonstrated evidence of intermanual conflict. For example, the patient tended to simultaneously bring both hands to his mouth when eating, one holding a piece of chicken and the other holding the fork. However, the patient had ceased performing involuntary public masturbation activities with the left hand.