Systematic Changes in Body Image Following Formation of Phantom Limbs (SpringerBriefs in Biology) - Softcover

Inui, Nobuyuki

Softcover

ISBN 10: 9811014590 ISBN 13: 9789811014598

Publisher: Springer, 2016

Synopsis

This book presents new findings on body image and also introduces new neuroscience-based methods for the fields of neurology and neurorehabilitation. Even when the hand is stationary we know its position – information that is needed by the brain to plan movements. If the sensory input from a limb is removed as the result of an accident, or as part of an experiment with local anesthesia, then a ‘phantom’ limb commonly develops. We used ischemic anesthesia of one limb to study the mechanisms that define this phenomenon. Surprisingly, if the fingers, wrist, elbow, ankle, and knee are extended before and during an ischemic block, then the perceived limb is flexed at the joint and vice versa. Furthermore, the limb is perceived to move continuously with no default position. The key parameter for these illusory changes in limb position is the difference in discharge rates between afferents in the flexor and extensor muscles at a joint. The final position of the phantom limbdepends on its initial position, suggesting that a body image uses incoming proprioceptive information for determination of starting points and endpoints when generating movements. In addition, the change in position does not involve limb postures that are anatomically impossible, suggesting that illusory posture is constrained by body maps. These results provide new information about how the brain generates phantom limbs. 

About this title

From the Back Cover

This book presents new findings on body image and also introduces new neuroscience-based methods for the fields of neurology and neurorehabilitation. Even when the hand is stationary we know its position – information that is needed by the brain to plan movements. If the sensory input from a limb is removed as the result of an accident, or as part of an experiment with local anesthesia, then a ‘phantom’ limb commonly develops. We used ischemic anesthesia of one limb to study the mechanisms that define this phenomenon. Surprisingly, if the fingers, wrist, elbow, ankle, and knee are extended before and during an ischemic block, then the perceived limb is flexed at the joint and vice versa. Furthermore, the limb is perceived to move continuously with no default position. The key parameter for these illusory changes in limb position is the difference in discharge rates between afferents in the flexor and extensor muscles at a joint. The final position of the phantom limb depends on itsinitial position, suggesting that a body image uses incoming proprioceptive information for determination of starting points and endpoints when generating movements. In addition, the change in position does not involve limb postures that are anatomically impossible, suggesting that illusory posture is constrained by body maps. These results provide new information about how the brain generates phantom limbs. 

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9811014590
• ISBN 13: 9789811014598
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 66