Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 7-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Psychophysiological Contributions to Phantom Limbs*

Psychophysiological Contributions to Phantom Limbs* Recent studies of amputees reveal a remarkable diversity in the qualities of experiences that define the phantom limb, whether painless or painful. This paper selectively reviews evidence of peripheral, central and psychological processes that trigger or modulate a variety of phantom limb experiences. The data show that pain experienced prior to amputation may persist in the form of a somatosensory memory in the phantom limb. It is suggested that the length and size of the phantom limb may be a perceptual marker of the extent to which sensory input from the amputation stump have re-occupied deprived cortical regions originally subserving the amputated limb. A peripheral mechanism involving a sympathetic-efferent somatic-afferent cycle is presented to explain fluctuations in the intensity of paresthesias referred to the phantom limb. While phantom pain and other sensations are frequently triggered by thoughts and feelings, there is no evidence that the painful or painless phantom limb is a symptom of a psychological disorder. It is concluded that the experience of a phantom limb is determined by a complex interaction of inputs from the periphery and widespread regions of the brain subserving sensory, cognitive, and emotional processes. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Canadian Journal of Psychiatry SAGE

Psychophysiological Contributions to Phantom Limbs*

Katz, Joel
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 37 (5): 17 – Jun 1, 1992
Download PDF
17 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/sage/psychophysiological-contributions-to-phantom-limbs-L3Fq9JadNN

References (117)

Publisher
SAGE
Copyright
© 1992 Canadian Psychiatric Association
ISSN
0706-7437
eISSN
1497-0015
DOI
10.1177/070674379203700502
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Recent studies of amputees reveal a remarkable diversity in the qualities of experiences that define the phantom limb, whether painless or painful. This paper selectively reviews evidence of peripheral, central and psychological processes that trigger or modulate a variety of phantom limb experiences. The data show that pain experienced prior to amputation may persist in the form of a somatosensory memory in the phantom limb. It is suggested that the length and size of the phantom limb may be a perceptual marker of the extent to which sensory input from the amputation stump have re-occupied deprived cortical regions originally subserving the amputated limb. A peripheral mechanism involving a sympathetic-efferent somatic-afferent cycle is presented to explain fluctuations in the intensity of paresthesias referred to the phantom limb. While phantom pain and other sensations are frequently triggered by thoughts and feelings, there is no evidence that the painful or painless phantom limb is a symptom of a psychological disorder. It is concluded that the experience of a phantom limb is determined by a complex interaction of inputs from the periphery and widespread regions of the brain subserving sensory, cognitive, and emotional processes.

Journal

Canadian Journal of Psychiatry – SAGE

Published: Jun 1, 1992

There are no references for this article.