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Induced sensorimotor brain plasticity controls pain in phantom limb patients
Takufumi Yanagisawa1,2,3,4,5,6, Ryohei Fukuma1,3,4,7, Ben Seymour8,9
1Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Nature Communications
|November 4, 2016
Summary
Brain-machine interface (BMI) training for phantom limb pain unexpectedly intensified pain when restoring function. However, dissociating prosthetic and phantom hands with BMI neurofeedback reduced pain, revealing a link between cortical plasticity and phantom limb pain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Phantom limb pain is a significant challenge after deafferentation.
- Maladaptive sensorimotor cortex reorganization is a leading theory for phantom limb pain.
- Investigating cortical plasticity's role in pain is crucial for developing effective treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between sensorimotor cortical plasticity induced by brain-machine interface (BMI) training and phantom limb pain.
- To determine if functional restoration via BMI affects phantom limb pain.
- To explore the potential of BMI neurofeedback as a novel treatment for phantom limb pain.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a brain-machine interface (BMI) system analyzing real-time magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals.
- Reconstructed affected hand movements using a robotic hand prosthesis.
- Implemented BMI training protocols focused on functional restoration and dissociation between phantom and prosthetic hands.
Main Results:
- BMI training induced significant sensorimotor cortex plasticity, improving movement information discriminability and prosthetic control.
- Contrary to expectations, BMI training aimed at functional restoration intensified phantom limb pain.
- BMI training designed to dissociate phantom and prosthetic hands led to a reduction in pain.
Conclusions:
- Sensorimotor cortical plasticity plays a functional role in phantom limb pain.
- The way BMI interfaces with the sensorimotor cortex influences pain perception.
- BMI neurofeedback presents a promising avenue for developing targeted treatments for phantom limb pain.
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