Phantom pain: a new hypothesis

This paper deals with a new concept as to the possible nerve circuitry involved in phantom limb paid as well as in other similar disorders associated with an autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The paper deals with a new therapy promulgated by Melzack and Loeser originally presented in the journal "Pain". A discussion of the paper was also given in the Journal of the American Medical Association (editorial section) by R. De Jong. It is our contention that there may be a direct connection between the sympathetic nervous system fibers, carried on the blood vessels, and the central nervous system particularly through the hypothalamic-thalamic axis. This may explain why despite a complete transection of the spinal cord at higher levels (such as in the upper dorsal area) and even with an interruption of the sympathetic chain, pain impulses still reach the higher central nervous system.