Perceptual phenomena after unilateral arm amputation: a pre-post-surgical comparison

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2001-04, Vol.302 (1), p.13-16
• Main Authors: Grüsser, Sabine M., Winter, Cornelia, Schaefer, Michael, Fritzsche, Kai, Benhidjeb, Tahar, Tunn, Peer-Ulf, Schlag, Peter M., Flor, Herta
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Amputation Stumps; Amputee; Arm - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Cortical plasticity; Electroencephalograph; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Perception - physiology; Phantom Limb - psychology; Phantom limb pain; Phantom limbs; Postoperative Period; Preoperative Care; Psychometrics; Somatosensory Cortex - physiology; Somesthesis and somesthetic pathways (proprioception, exteroception, nociception); interoception; electrolocation. Sensory receptors; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(01)01606-8

Painful and non-painful phantom phenomena occur frequently after amputations but are rarely investigated in the perioperative stage. The goal of the present study was the assessment of phantom phenomena, pain and changes in primary somatosensory cortex prior to and after upper limb amputation. Two patients who suffered from metastatic carcinoma were examined 2 days prior to and 7 days after the amputation of an arm using comprehensive psychometric assessments and neuroelectric source imaging. Both patients reported phantom limb pain that was similar to their pre-amputation pain. In one patient, reorganization of the mouth area into the deafferented hand area took place immediately after the amputation. In the other patient reorganization had occurred prior to the amputation possibly related to non-use of the arm several years prior to the amputation.