Article

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.

Langue : ANGLAIS