Analgesia through the looking-glass? A randomized controlled trial investigating the effect of viewing a ‘virtual’ limb upon phantom limb pain, sensation and movement

Abstract The extent to which viewing a ‘virtual’ limb, the mirror image of an intact limb, modifies the experience of a phantom limb, was investigated in 80 lower limb amputees before, during and after repeated attempts to simultaneously move both intact and phantom legs. Subjects were randomly assi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:European journal of pain 2007-05, Vol.11 (4), p.428-436
Main Authors: Brodie, Eric E, Whyte, Anne, Niven, Catherine A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acquired limb loss
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Amputation
Analgesia
Anesthesia & Perioperative Care
Awareness
Computer Graphics
Female
Humans
Leg - physiology
Male
Middle Aged
Movement
Movement - physiology
Pain Measurement
Pain Medicine
Phantom Limb - psychology
Phantom Limb - therapy
Phantom limb pain
Phantom limb sensations
Phantom limbs
Sensation - physiology
Virtual limbs
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Description
Summary:Abstract The extent to which viewing a ‘virtual’ limb, the mirror image of an intact limb, modifies the experience of a phantom limb, was investigated in 80 lower limb amputees before, during and after repeated attempts to simultaneously move both intact and phantom legs. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, a control condition in which they only viewed the movements of their intact limb and a mirror condition in which they additionally viewed the movements of a ‘virtual’ limb. Although the mirror condition elicited a significantly greater number of phantom limb movements than the control condition, it did not attenuate phantom limb pain and sensations any more than the control condition. The potential of a ‘virtual’ limb as a treatment for phantom limb pain was discussed in terms of its ability to halt and/or reverse the cortical re-organisation of motor and somatosensory cortex following acquired limb loss.
ISSN:1090-3801
1532-2149
DOI:10.1016/j.ejpain.2006.06.002