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Researchers Identify Phantom Limb Brain Activity

Posted by kdawson on from the little-bit-to-the-left dept.

mmmscience writes "Researchers in Switzerland think they had identified the regions of the brain responsible for creating phantom limbs and the senses that go along with them. Scientists studied a stroke victim who claimed that the phantom limb of her now-paralyzed left arm could do a number of things a normal limb could do, including 'scratch an itch on her head, with an actual sense of relief.'"

12 of 165 comments (clear)

  1. But what Slashdotters really need to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can you masturbate with a phantom limb?

    1. Re:But what Slashdotters really need to know... by Hangingcurve · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you use the left part of your brain, it feels like someone else is doing it.

    2. Re:But what Slashdotters really need to know... by Fumus · · Score: 5, Funny

      "Look! No hands!"

    3. Re:But what Slashdotters really need to know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Anything that you have physically experienced once can be replicated with enough focus and mental dedication.

      For lay people, the number of times they engaged in the activity with the now absent limb should impact the ability to recreate the sensations assuming they use an entry-level, single-instance recursion method for manifestation. This method would involve identifying one remembered masturbatory experience, and then recursing on the memory - initially focusing on one aspect of sense memory (ie: olfactory, visual, etc..), and adding sense detail with each iteration.

      It should be noted that persons not already suffering from socialization issues should avoid cultivating the ability to completely self-satisfy, as this can lead to all sorts of socialization issues.

  2. Like Gil "The Arm" by CRCulver · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In Larry Niven's Gil "The Arm" Hamilton stories (collected in Flatlander ), the protagonist lost his arm in an accident, but found that without the physical arm he had developed telekinesis with the remaining phantom hand feeling. This persisted after he got a new arm transplanted, so he had in effect three arms. Now, one can discount Niven's interest in the paranormal, peculiar for a writer usually lauded for the believable science of his stories. But I'd be interested to know if in reality the feeling of a phantom limb would persist even after a new prosthetic or even human transplant were added.

    1. Re:Like Gil "The Arm" by mikelieman · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or like -- The Phantom Limb!

      "He wears a lot of purple for a white guy. ..."

      --
      Technology -- No Place For Wimps! Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Chatroom -- http://www.wemissjerry.org
    2. Re:Like Gil "The Arm" by koiransuklaa · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I have to wonder, if there is a large body of science behind paranormal events, why don't the scientists cash in on the Randi Million Dollar challenge (or any of the several dozen smaller ones that are out there, if Randis requirements are too hard)? I can't believe that research grants in the field of paranormal studies are so easily available that the researchers just can't be bothered...

  3. bloggers aren't jouros by backwardMechanic · · Score: 5, Informative

    Vacuous lack of information? What's this 'scientists in Switzerland' rubbish? We may not be the biggest country, but it would be polite to say which scientists, even where. For anyone that cares, the study was led by Asaid Khateb, a neuropsychologist at Geneva University Hospitals. Published in the Annals of Nuerology, abstract here: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122269076/abstract

  4. mental imagery in practice by crescente · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's been long suspected in sports training that mentally practicing a skill is often as useful and productive as doing the real thing. fMRI supports this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Practice_of_Action The surprising thing to me is that she actually got relief from phantom-ly scratching herself. I suspect this is some placebo effect. Or related to why you can't tickle yourself.

  5. A serious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Do male to female transexuals get phantom erections after the operation?

    1. Re:A serious question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Yes, we do.

      I'm just coming up to 3 years post-op. I no-longer get a phantom penis when awake, but I sometimes have something I call "the hermaphrodite dream", where I have both a penis and vagina. The first few times, it messed with my head a bit, but now I'm kinda OK with it, and it only happens once or twice a year.

  6. Old news. I have a better link about Phantom Limbs by gigamonkey · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Watch this guy explain it and be amazed. The phantom Limb part comes in at around half way if I remember correctly. This was filmed in 2007 so ya old news. Vilayanur Ramachandran: A journey to the center of your mind http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/184