Phantom limb perception interferes with motor imagery after unilateral upper-limb amputation.
Yuanyuan Lyu1, Xiaoli Guo1,2, Robin Bekrater-Bodmann2
1School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Scientific Reports
|February 17, 2016
Summary
Phantom limb perception interferes with motor imagery in amputees, slowing response times and altering brain activity. This suggests altered body representation impacts imagined movements after limb loss.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Human Motor Control
Background:
- Phantom limb experiences are common after amputation and may affect body schema.
- The impact of phantom limb perception on motor imagery abilities is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how phantom limb perception influences motor imagery in amputees.
- To explore the behavioral and electrophysiological correlates of this influence.
Main Methods:
- Used a hand mental rotation task with behavioral and electrophysiological (EEG) measures.
- Compared amputees with phantom limb perception to those without and to healthy controls.
Main Results:
- Amputees with phantom limb perception showed prolonged response times for both intact and missing hands.
- EEG beta-band event-related desynchronization (ERD) exhibited angular disparity in amputees with phantom limb perception.
- Response times and beta-ERD correlated positively with phantom limb vividness.
Conclusions:
- Phantom limb perception significantly interferes with motor imagery in amputees.
- This interference may stem from altered body representation due to the phantom limb's perceived posture.
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