Phantom Limbs, Phantom Pain, And The Essay -- Biology Essays Research

Phantom Limbs, Phantom Pain, And The I-Function The so-called I-function which describes the brains sense of self takes on interesting connotations when discussing phantom limbs and associated phantom pain. The loss of an arm or pin through amputation is not an easy experience to endure, and is even more difficult when the patient begins to feel sensations in their now missing limb. These feelings, sometimes referred to as baffle hallucination, is the subjective sensation, not arising from an external stimulus, that an amputated limb is still present (1). Although they no longer exist, patients perceive these limbs as still being essential components of their body- soma, and continues to continue in sync with their torso and other limbs. For some amputees, these phantom sensations may be no more than painless distractions of pressure, warmth, and cold that do not intercept with their everyday lives. But for the majority of amputees, about 50% to 80% (2), they experience phantom p ains that vary in classification from cramping, burning, tingling, shocking, shooting and stabbing pains. These episodes be severe enough to interfere with work, sleep and normal function and do require some kind of treatment. Phantom pain can occur anytime, from direct after an amputation to several years later. The powerful impression of a stable, embodied self is taken for granted. But its an perception thats possible only be throw of the body image created by the brain. A significant element of that image is a mental map of the body surface, generated by the pallium using the sensory signals it receives from the skin. Other regions of the cortex control other components, such as the position of muscles and joints (proprioception),... ...http//www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm3)THEY DO IT WITH MIRRORS , From New Scientist http//infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/brynmawr_main?http_rc=400&class=session&sev=temp&type=session&cause=http%3A%2F%2Fweb1.infotrac.galegroup.com%2Fitw%2Finfom ark%2F805%2F448%2F25790840w3%2Fpurl%3Drc1_EAIM_0_A63676311%26dyn%3D4ar_fmt%3Fsw_aep%3Dbrynmawr_main&cont=&msg=No+Session+cookies&sserv=no4) Harris, J. A. Cortical Origin of Pathological Pain. in Lancet, vol. 354 (pg. 1464-1466) 19995)Scientific American, Ronald Melzack article http//serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro01/web1/=6)Discover Phantom limbs , Brief Article http//www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1511/is_n2_v19/ai_201595267) Ramachandran, V.S. & Rogers-Ramachandran, D. Phantom Limbs and skittish Plasticity. in Archives of Neurology. Vol. 57 (pg. 317-320), 2000, Ramachandran article