Phantom Limbs Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Phantom outgrowthsPhantom leg Pain (PLP) is a serious terminal figure that occurs when a person who has scattered a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or sack of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the leg is belt up there and experiences sensations coming from this ara. It was get-go described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a myopic story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may because contrive wondered if this was specific to wounded obliging War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). several(prenominal) theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is be quiet much to be learned and understood. premature physicians believed that phantom limb sensations were caused by severed nerves that fired randomly, direct signals to the somatosensory cortex re-creating sensations os tensibly coming from the missing limb. However, this theory was presently disproved when surgeons tried unsuccessfully to bear off these sensations by cutting the nerves hint to the neuromas, preventing the neuromal signals from reaching the cortex. Researchers then began to slim on the role of the spinal pile in PLP, but effected that paraplegics with completely severed spinal corduroys still experienced sensations where their limbs had been (5). concenter then turned to the brain and its role. Until the middle 1980s, it was widely believed that once queasy pathways were placed during fetal development, these pathways did not mixture and were not altered in any recognizable way (3). However, new studies have shown that the brain has a high degree of plasticity into adulthood, which allows it to continuall... ...opens the doors to tone at the neuromatrix and corollary discharge signals in the brain and the influence that these prewired expectations may have on the body , especially pain. These ideas are the key to providing long-term pain counsel for PLP patients. Works Cited1. Yang, Tony T., Gallen C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, S. Cobb, Sensory Maps in the Human Brain, Nature, vol. 368, 14 April 1994 592-593. http//zygote.swarthmore.edu/axon6.html2. Flor, H., Elbert,T., Knecht, S., Wienbruch, C., Pantev, C., Birbaumer, N., Larbig, W., Taub, E., Phantom Limb Pain as a Perceptual Correlate of Cortical shakeup Following Arm Amputation, Nature, vol. 375, 8 June 1995 482-483. http//www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm3. Grobstein, Paul, Class Lecture. Neurobiology and Behavior. Bryn Mawr College. February and April 1998. Phantom Limbs Essay -- Biology Essays Research coverPhantom LimbsPhantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a serious condition that occurs when a person who has lost a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or loss of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the limb is still there a nd experiences sensations coming from this area. It was first described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a short story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may then have wondered if this was specific to wounded Civil War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). Several theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is still much to be learned and understood. Early physicians believed that phantom limb sensations were caused by severed nerves that fired randomly, sending signals to the somatosensory cortex re-creating sensations seemingly coming from the missing limb. However, this theory was soon disproved when surgeons tried unsuccessfully to eradicate these sensations by cutting the nerves leading to the neuromas, preventing the neuromal signals from reaching the cortex. Researchers then began to concentrate on the role of the spinal co rd in PLP, but realized that paraplegics with completely severed spinal cords still experienced sensations where their limbs had been (5). Focus then turned to the brain and its role. Until the mid 1980s, it was widely believed that once neural pathways were placed during fetal development, these pathways did not change and were not altered in any recognizable way (3). However, recent studies have shown that the brain has a high degree of plasticity into adulthood, which allows it to continuall... ...opens the doors to looking at the neuromatrix and corollary discharge signals in the brain and the influence that these prewired expectations may have on the body, especially pain. These ideas are the key to providing long-term pain management for PLP patients. Works Cited1. Yang, Tony T., Gallen C., Schwartz, B., Bloom, F.E., Ramachandran, S. Cobb, Sensory Maps in the Human Brain, Nature, vol. 368, 14 April 1994 592-593. http//zygote.swarthmore.edu/axon6.html2. Flor, H., Elbert,T., Kn echt, S., Wienbruch, C., Pantev, C., Birbaumer, N., Larbig, W., Taub, E., Phantom Limb Pain as a Perceptual Correlate of Cortical Reorganization Following Arm Amputation, Nature, vol. 375, 8 June 1995 482-483. http//www.bfe.org/protocol/pro05eng.htm3. Grobstein, Paul, Class Lecture. Neurobiology and Behavior. Bryn Mawr College. February and April 1998.