Phantom Limbs, Phantom Pain, And The Essay -- Biology Essays Research

Phantom Limbs, Phantom Pain, And The "I-Function" The so-called "I-function" which describes the brain's sense of self takes on interesting connotations when discussing phantom limbs and associated phantom pain. The loss of an arm or leg through amputation is not an easy experience to endure, and is even more difficult when the patient begins to feel sensations in their now missing limb. These feelings, sometimes referred to as "stump hallucination", is the subjective sensation, not arising from an external stimulus, that an amputated limb is still present (1). Although they no longer exist, patients perceive these limbs as still being essential components of their body-image, and continues to move in sync with their torso and other limbs. For some amputees, these phantom sensations may be no more than painless distractions of pressure, warmth, and cold that do not interfere with their everyday lives. But for the majority of amputees, about 50% to 80% (2), they experience phantom pains that vary in classification from cramping, burning, tingling, shocking, shooting and stabbing pains. These episodes are severe enough to interfere with work, sleep and normal function and do require some kind of treatment. Phantom pain can occur anytime, from immediately after an amputation to several years later. The powerful impression of a stable, embodied self is taken for granted. But it's an perception that's possible only because of the body image created by the brain. A significant element of that image is a mental map of the body surface, generated by the cortex using the sensory signals it receives from the skin. Other regions of the cortex control other components, such as the position of muscles and joints (proprioception),... ... http://www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm 3)THEY DO IT WITH MIRRORS , From New Scientist http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/brynmawr_main?http_rc=400&class=session&sev=temp&type=session&cause=http%3A%2F%2Fweb1.infotrac.galegroup.com%2Fitw%2Finfomark%2F805%2F448%2F25790840w3%2Fpurl%3Drc1_EAIM_0_A63676311%26dyn%3D4!ar_fmt%3Fsw_aep%3Dbrynmawr_main&cont=&msg=No+Session+cookies&sserv=no 4) Harris, J. A. "Cortical Origin of Pathological Pain." in Lancet, vol. 354 (pg. 1464-1466) 1999 5)Scientific American, Ronald Melzack article http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web1/= 6)Discover Phantom limbs , Brief Article http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_n2_v19/ai_20159526 7) Ramachandran, V.S. & Rogers-Ramachandran, D. "Phantom Limbs and Neural Plasticity." in Archives of Neurology. Vol. 57 (pg. 317-320), 2000, Ramachandran article