- Watch a video on mirror therapy for amputees suffering from phantom limb pain here.
- If you want to learn more about what is actually happening in the brain with this syndrome (as well as Capgras Syndrome and Synesthesia) check out this TED talk given by neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran.
- In order to get extra credit points, post a comment below and summarize what you learned from BOTH sources (you need to make it clear that you read and watched) as well as what you found interesting.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Extra Credit - Phantom Limb Pain
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I never realized that phantom limb pain was actually possible. I feel bad for people that have it and think that it is extremely sad that some people are even brought to suicide because they are in pain and cannot do anything about it. It was interesting the way he described the ways that nerves work and how nerves will get so used to doing something that they will continue to do it even if the limb isn't there. It is funny how sensory nerves work and how the brain sends signals throughout your body. I was impressed about how people can help paralysis with a mirror. The brain is very complex and how the sensory part of the brain works with how it is carried out in action. I also never heard of synesthesia and how there is crosswiring between the nerves in the body and how the messages will eventually create someone to be more creative and be more likely to be a poet or an artist.
ReplyDeleteAt first the mirror method didn't make any sense to me but after watching the video and seeing how the brain relies on visuals that it can basically teach itself into helping the phantom limb heal and get better.
I never knew than a person can still feel pain in an amputated leg. I always thought that once the leg was amputated, there wasn't anything thing to do and the person would have to get used to it after a while. However, after watching the first video, I learnt that a person, like Bryan Wagner, can still feel a sharp pain in the leg that is not really there. I learnt that mirror therapy is when a mirror is placed between the legs of a person and they move the leg that is not amputated up and down, like they are stepping on a gas pedal. Doing this, the patients feel like the other leg is actually there. Mirror therapy can simmer down extra activity in the brain, which is one theory that may cause Phantom Limb Pain. Or, they might be wiping away bad memories of that limb. According to the reporter Walter Morris, this type of therapy seems to work better than any medication. The mirror treats the pain while the reflection of the leg is a response to the pain. Mirror therapy can help a patient become more active. I found this to be very interesting because how somebody feel pain in a part of the body that is not actually there? The fact that this can happen just proves how interesting and outstanding the human body can be.
ReplyDeleteRamachandran's Ted Talk was very intriguing. The different syndromes he explained were fascinating. First of all, Capgras Syndrome is when a person is delusional that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor. When a part of the brain is ruined, a person loses the ability to see faces and can only identify a person by their voice. That's mind-blowing to me because even if the person is the right person, a person with this syndrome does not think it is and they think the person will be dangerous to them. As for Phantom Limb Syndrome, Ramachandran explained a case involving a patient who got her uterus removed and was still able to feel cramps during her menstruation cycle. Again, the fact that a person can feel pain in a part of a body that is not actually there is fascinating. How the brain processes this is incredible because it still wants to feel the pain. Some patients claim that they are still able to move the limb even though it is not attached to them anymore. They are away that the part of the body is not there, however, it is a sensory complement. Other patients say that they are unable to move it because it is in a pinched position and it is excruciating painful. Ramachandra also explains that the brain learns not to move the arm through trying to move the arm.
Ramachandra also uses the mirror experiment by having the patient put their amputated body part on one side of the mirror and putting the regular arm on the other side of the mirror (it is split into two sides, a left side, and a right side) and holding it in the same position. The patients look inside the mirror and experience the amputated arm looking normal. He explains that other problems of the body could be overcome by using a simple mirror. After a few years with the mirror therapy, people are unable to feel the pain of their phantom limb.
Finally, Ramachandran talks about Synesthesia in his Ted Talk. This is when people see colors when they see numbers. I found it interesting how Ramachandran said that Synesthesia seems to be found more in artistic people. It is an abnormal gene in a family that could cause this.
Learning about the brain in class, and after watching these videos made me realize that the brain is actually a remarkable organ that can cause many different triggers to a person. The brain is very complex and intriguing and I think I may now want to study neuroscience in college.
Wow. I don't even know how to explain what I saw in both videos. It is mind blowing to me that one can feel pain in a body part they do not have, and recognize what kind of pain it is, where it is, and etc. Secondly, to be able to use only a mirror to fix or alleviate that pain is even more incredible. In the TED talk, the man discussed his theory of the mirror tricking the brain into thinking there is an arm, but there isn't at the same time, which would get rid of the phantom pain. This theory was that having a paralyzed arm feel phantom pain teaches the brain that it is paralyzed, but using the mirror once again teaches it to not send signals of pain, since there is nothing there, but there is, which is actually very confusing to write. But also how the man linked the mirror to also be a possible cure or treatment to those who have suffered a stroke, as since being paralyzed is a notion taught to the brain, the mirror can possibly re-teach the brain to do that body parts normal function. The TED Talk and the YouTube video were both very interesting, and although the concept can be rather confusing, it is also bewildering to think of phantom pains, even just as they are, and not for a paralysis.
ReplyDeleteDeVaughn Hauck
Even though I have been very skeptical of the phantom limb challenge, I am completely positive now that this is possible. After witnessing the mirror therapy and the bad memories tormenting the man who had his leg amputated go away, I realized that the brain has been distorted by the mirror to treat the man as if he had two legs still. The mirror was seen as an illusion to the brain, showing the complexity of the brain to allow the man to feel like he actually had a leg that wasn't there, but also how the brain can be distracted. This reminds me of the show "Brain Games." They did an experiment to see how people reacted when a fake hand was smashed by a hammer. First, the person puts a rubber arm where their normal arm would be and they move their arm to the other side of a divider on the table. Then, the host tickled their real left hand with a feather, then tickled the fake right hand with a feather and in the mind of the contestants, they truly felt that their real right hand was getting tickled. Then the host quickly hits the fake hand with a hammer and watched as most of the contestants jumped in fear. The brain was able to link the rubber arm to the real arm, which is why thy were so fearful of heir real hand getting hurt. This is similar to the mirror challenge because the brain makes a connection between two things that are not really there.
ReplyDeleteNext, the little part of the brain tucked away between the lobes is very interesting. It is the face structure of the brain, and when it is damages, the only sense the brain can make of the sexual hormones released by the brain towards his mother due top the damage is that his mother is an imposter. This is caused by the cut between the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala that allows a person to now not feel emotionally attached to their mother anymore.
With the idea of phantom\m limbs from the Ted Talk, it is amazing how the brain can wire itself to believe that a limb is still there. The brain constantly tries to tell the amputated body part to move but done not yet understand that the nerves are not connected to that part of the body. It is nothing less than astonishing that the brain an believe that the phantom arm is moving while looking in the mirror, al to reduce the pain! This all just shows the complexity of the brain, even when signals are disconnected from communicating with the amputated body part. With the confusion between motor signals wit the mirror, the brain eventually just gets rid of the phantom arm as a whole, relieving the man of pain. The same confusion and cross-wiring of close signals is what causes synesthesia.
I found this to be amazing. The brain is so complex with all of its wiring and intricacies, but yet it can be fooled by a mirror. The first video was about an amputee using a mirror to pretend that his lost leg was actually there. The TED talk, explains this in more detail. Phantom limb syndrome is similar to muscle memory in the fact that your brain is so used to having a limb there that it acts as though it does. So much so that you could actually feel pain from that phantom limb. Pain from a non-existent limb is fascinating yet scary, because there is no way to treat the pain. And the one thing I found amazing and confusing at the same time is that, like Doctor Vilayanur Ramachandran said, the patients know that the limb is not actually there, so consciously the limb is still gone, but sub consciously you begin to think that the hand is there.The brain can be simple and complex at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing to see how important the brain actually is. In school we learn that the brain is one of the most important organs in our body but I don't think we actually realize it's significance. After seeing these videos I am mind blown about how much the brain is capable of doing and how much doctors and scientist actually know about the brain. At first I was a little confused about the phantom limb. I wasn't sure how some could possibly feel something that is no longer there. After watching the Ted talks video I understand it so much more. It makes sense that if a man has an arm that is in sever pain in a sling for a long time and then looses the pain in that arm and then has it amputated that the brain still receives signals as if it was there because that was what the brain had learned to do. Doctor Vilayanur explains that the mirror helps to trick the brain into thinking that the phantom limb is the actual limb and once there's a repetition of movement and the brain learns to move that phantom limb than the pain is no longer there. It was also interesting to hear that there are studies being done where doctors try the same technique on other patients. If the brain behaves this way whenever there is trauma to a body part that is visible to the human eye than maybe the idea of using the mirror could work in all cases.
ReplyDeleteI am always scared of the future, specifically what is going to happen to me. For example, I am afraid that I will get Alzheimer's or suffer from injuries that would cause me to be immobile or inactive. This is what terrifies me. What would have made it worse probably would be having these ailments or disorders in the past. The world has come so far scientifically each year, which is beneficial to the human race and those affected by the findings. I feel safer now. As seen in the phantom limb video, a person who has had one of their limbs amputated can still sense feelings as if it were there. This is just wicked fascinating. First of all, I am not surprised at all because the brain works in mysterious ways, whether it is healing a person or allowing a person to do something. When I was watching the video, I kind of got the sense the reason for getting the feeling after an amputation might be because of memories that involve the missing limb. The brain always reacts based on memories, which is apparent in a lot of the emotions people have and the reason why we sympathize/empathize in different situations. Now I know from the TED talk that phantom limbs happen because of the damaged nerves from the cause of the action. Specifically, I thought the mirror treatment was so incredible that people are able to manipulate the brain to heal the pain that people feel. The fact that the brain relies on visuals in order to process actions among other things. I truly cannot get enough of the brain.
ReplyDeleteThe TED talk definitely gave more detailed explanations to the processes that are occurring and the different lobes that are being talked. At the beginning of the talk, Ramachandran talks about how in order to analyze what parts are associated with actions in the brain, one must attain someone with an area of the brain that is damaged. This automatically reminded me of my Psychology course because in one of the lectures, my professor explained to the class that a psychologist used to give free lobotomies if he could also poke at different areas/regions of the brain to see what would come of that. I think it is so cool how we got to the point where we know so much information about the brain and its capability but also we know so little about it as well. The TED talk was also very entertaining, especially the way it describes how syndromes develop. Syndromes develop because of areas in the brain that are damaged. For example, the amygdala controls emotion, so when it is damaged, the patient will not have enough emotion and could forget a lot of what the visage of a person looks like. I also enjoyed Ramachandran's anecdotes for Capgras Syndrome where a person cannot recognize another person from their appearance due to an inaccuracy in the brain. As a whole, I believe that science is so intriguing and I cannot wait to study more in college about this.
It is truly mind boggling to me that a person can have pain in a limb that is not even there anymore. I would never have thought that that could have been even the slightest bit possible. Since watching the youtube video, i know can get a little bit more of an understanding. Even though the limb is not there, the brain still sends signals of pain to the nerves near there which can cause excruciating amounts of pain. To me the more shocking fact, is that the best way to cure it is by imitating the motions into the mirror as if you still possessed the limb. It was quite interesting to me how Mr. Ramachandran tried to explain his thoery of how the mirror tricks the body into thinking the limb is actually there inorder to relieve the pain. I still cannot really wrap my head around how this is possible. The concept of Phantom limb pain is a very interesting one especially when you think that most of time you get rid of limbs to take away the pain when now there's the possibility that it could just cause more pain.
ReplyDeleteIn the video, it talks about a man that is missing his right leg because he got it amputated. This caused him to still feel like his leg and foot was still there, and he felt stabbing, and annoying heel pain. Almost as if his big toe was crossed on his second big toe. This phantom pain could last years to decades but there is a new therapy treatment. It is called Mirror Therapy. First, the patient takes their shoes and socks off, then the mirror is placed between their legs. They start the movement with by moving the foot up and down, and feels like they are moving their amputated leg as if they still have a leg there. When they see the reflected foot, they will act as if the amputated foot is still there/returned. Also in the Ted Talk, doing this activity, you quiet down activity in the brain which may generate phantom limb, which works; better than medication that is usually prescribed. It really surprises me that there is a way to solve amputee pain and see that they feel as if the foot is still there.
ReplyDelete-Karen Beaudry
Both of these videos amazed me because I did not know about Phantom Limb Pain until watching these videos. I have heard about it in a couple situations but I never truly sat down and understood what it was. It amazes me that in the YouTube video, Brian Wagner only has half of his right leg; yet sometimes he feels the pain of what would be someone stabbing your foot. He compared the annoyingness of the pain to when your second toe crosses over your big toe. You feel uncomfortable because there is nothing you can do. The treatment of mirror therapy amazes me because it makes your brain think that the non-existent limb is moving. This causes the brain to relax and believe that the limb is actually there. It is a psychological cure. This cure interests me because it tricks the brain. In the TED Talk, he talks about how the brain controls the ability of the human body. When a part of the brain is damaged, the other parts of the brain show that it is damaged. It amazed me that when your emotions are cut off because of nerve damage, you sometimes do not recognize anyone or anything. You show no emotion when in person. Phantom Limb Syndrome is when you feel pain in a phantom limb; you can feel pain internal or external. An example is a woman who had her uterus removed. She experienced cramps and pain in her uterus. Some patients with a phantom limb believe that they can move their limb as if it is there. Some will say that their limb is paralyzed and they blame their pain on this. After they hurt this limb, they are put into a sling or cast; therefore the limb is paralyzed because it cannot move. After the limb is amputated, the brain still thinks the limb is paralyzed. This Phantom pain causes some patients to become depressed or even result in suicide. The only way to fix this pain is with physical contact. You will use mirror therapy. After watching both videos, I am amazed with the Phantom Limb Pain and the cure of mirror therapy.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of phantom limb pain and I thought if a limb was amputated you could never feel it again as you cut off all the nerves. After watching the youtube video I was intrigued that a mirror could heal phantom limb pain as you see one limb and you know it is one limb but your mind reads that both limbs are moving. Also, the war vet was not moving his foot around a lot which shows it does not take a lot, but enough to be recognized and his connection to the toe nail maid me recognized the type of pain as irritating. I really enjoyed watching the TED talks as the doctor hooked me in from the beginning as he described the brain and how much power it has compared to its size. His theory of mirror therapy sounded a little foolish at first, but as he explained it (including his joke) it started to make more sense. The brain is complex as we do not fully know all of the brain's functions yet, but the mirror could still could confuse the brain, but we realized what was going on at the same time. This is the next step into science as we can research how light affects us humans and how light and vision can help our rehab. My last thing is how will phantom limb pain affect people who are blind and if a mirror could still work on them?
ReplyDeleteBoth of these videos were really interesting to me because I had learned a little bit about phantom limb pain from a Grey's Anatomy episode. One of the doctors was in a plane crash and had the lower half of her leg amputated and then got a prosthetic leg, but she felt like she could still feel the part of the leg that was gone and the only way to make the pain go away was to stab her prosthetic with a scalpel. I had no idea that phantom limb pain was real, or that it was so common in people with amputations, so learning about mirror therapy and what in the brain caused phantom limb pain was fascinating. I thought it was really cool that patients could do simple exercises for a few minutes a day and were able to relieve their pain. The TED talk also explained a few other syndromes like Capgras Syndrome (when a person believes that a close friend or loved one is actually an impostor) and Synesthesia (when one type of stimulation causes the sensation of another, like if you hear a sound and imagine a color) which showed me just how complex and crucial the brain really is.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about Phantom limb pain prior to watching. It seems so creepy that the man in the video with the amputated leg can feel pain in his foot when he does not even have one! Mirror therapy is an amazing advancement in the way that it tricks your brain into thinking your moving a limb that is not actually there. You'd think your brain would be smart enough to catch what is actually going on, but it isn't. Though, in the ted talk it was explained that the brain controls all mobility of the human body so the feeling of the phantom limb in theory makes sense. There have been cases where a limb is paralyzed and people can still feel it. This is a cause of phantom limb. I wonder how scientist first thought about the idea of using mirrors and who thought that it would work. I would never have thought about something like that.
ReplyDeleteOne of my major takeaways was that many victims of phantom limb experience so much pain that some resort to suicide. This is so sad. Imagine having to go through the trouble of losing a limb but then again the added trauma of feeling like it is still there. This is why the mirror therapy is so revolutionary!
I only hope that in the future they will be able to develop even better treatments and cures for phantom limb pain.