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Updated: May 11, 2026
11:29
Real-time Video Projection in an MRI for Characterization of Neural Correlates Associated with Mirror Therapy for Phantom Limb Pain
Published on: April 20, 2019
Summary
Understanding the psychological, sociocultural, and medical factors influencing symptom amplification is key. Optimal management requires a comprehensive assessment of these forces in symptomatic patients.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychosomatic Medicine
Background:
- Patients often experience symptom amplification due to psychological, sociocultural, and medical care factors.
- These factors influence how individuals perceive and focus on bodily sensations, irrespective of underlying pathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline an optimal management strategy for symptomatic and somatizing patients.
- To identify key forces contributing to the amplification of physical symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Gathering psychological data on emotional triggers, developmental history, psychiatric conditions, and symptom meaning.
- Identifying somatizing personality traits such as masochism, guilt, hostility, and dependence.
- Understanding patient motivations for seeking medical care (e.g., information, counseling, social support).
- Evaluating situational stressors, secondary gains, and cultural influences on symptom perception.
Main Results:
- Symptom amplification is multifactorial, involving psychological distress, social context, and healthcare interactions.
- A thorough patient assessment is crucial for effective management.
Conclusions:
- Optimal care for symptomatic patients necessitates a holistic approach.
- Addressing psychological, social, and personal factors is essential for managing amplified physical symptoms.
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01:33Somatosensation
The somatosensory system relays sensory information from the skin, mucous membranes, limbs, and joints. Somatosensation is more familiarly known as the sense of touch. A typical somatosensory pathway includes three types of long neurons: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary neurons have cell bodies located near the spinal cord in groups of neurons called dorsal root ganglia. The sensory neurons of ganglia innervate designated areas of skin called dermatomes.
01:16Sensory Functions of the Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the human body and plays a crucial role in our sensory perception. It contains a vast network of sensory receptors that contribute to the skin's protective function by perceiving physical, biological, and environmental cues and generating relevant responses.
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There are two main categories of receptors on the skin: capsulated and non-capsulated. The non-capsulated ones are mainly the pain receptors. The capsulated ones can be further categorized based on the...
01:15Sensory Modalities
Sensation typically is the process by which the sensory receptors and sense organs detect stimuli from the internal and external environment and transmit this information to the central nervous system for processing.
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
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01:11Sensory Perception: Organization of the Somatosensory System
The somatosensory system is the central and peripheral nervous system component that senses and processes touch, pressure, pain, temperature, and body position or proprioception. The process of sensation takes place at three levels:
The receptor level:
The receptor level is the first stage of sensation. It involves the detection of a stimulus by specialized sensory receptors. The stimulus must arrive within the receptor's receptive field. Next, the receptor converts the energy of the stimulus...
The receptor level:
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01:28Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
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