Article

Phantom-limb pain (PLP) is a phenomenon that may appear among people with
amputation. Some studies reveal that 70% of people with amputation experience PLP
years postamputation. There is a lack of scientific evidence about the cause of
PLP. It has been hypothesized that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) could be
involved in the mechanism that triggers PLP, but this hypothesis remains unclear.
The aim of this study was to correlate ANS function, through heart rate
variability (HRV) analysis, with PLP in adult males with amputation. The study
population comprised 35 subjects, with 27 reporting PLP often or always. The rest
of the subjects did not report any PLP. In order to calculate linear and
nonlinear parameters of HRV, all subjects underwent 10 min of resting heart rate
monitoring. The study did not find correlations between HRV parameters and PLP.
Most of the subjects showed decreased values in linear parameters of HRV while
nonlinear values were normal. HRV is not implicated in PLP. Linear and nonlinear
methods for HRV analysis might reflect different physiological phenomena; while
linear values place people with amputation at cardiovascular risk, nonlinear
values indicate normality.

Langue : ANGLAIS