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Published on: April 20, 2019
Plasticity in the Visual System is Associated with Prosthesis Use in Phantom Limb Pain
Sandra Preißler1, Caroline Dietrich, Kathrin R Blume
1Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University , Jena , Germany.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|June 28, 2013
Summary
Strong phantom limb pain (PLP) in arm amputees is linked to less prosthesis use and specific brain plasticity. Increased use of prosthetic hands may influence neural adaptations in the visual cortex.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuroplasticity
- Prosthetics
Background:
- Phantom limb pain (PLP) in upper limb amputees has been linked to cortical plasticity in visual streams.
- This plasticity is hypothesized to stem from extensive prosthesis use and visual feedback for controlling artificial hands.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the amount of hand prosthesis use and cortical volume plasticity in upper limb amputees.
- To test the hypothesis that functional prosthesis use drives neural plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Reanalyzed cortical volume data from 21 upper limb amputees.
- Correlated prosthesis use with observed cortical volume changes.
- Subdivided patients into strong PLP and low-to-medium PLP groups for analysis.
Main Results:
- No overall relation between PLP and prosthesis use in the entire group.
- Stronger PLP was significantly associated with less prosthesis use in a subgroup.
- Greater cortical plasticity was observed in the dorsal visual stream.
- Increased prosthesis use in strong PLP patients correlated with smaller posterior parietal cortex volume.
Conclusions:
- Prosthesis use is related to cortical plasticity in the visual stream of upper limb amputees.
- This plasticity may represent brain adaptation to controlling artificial hands.
- The findings suggest a complex interplay between phantom limb pain, prosthesis use, and neural reorganization.
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