Metal bar prevents phantom limb motion: case study of an amputation patient who showed a profound change in the awareness of his phantom limb

[Psychotherapies for the Treatment of Phantom Limb Pain]

INTRODUCTION

The phantom limb pain has been described as a condition in which patients experience a feeling of itching, spasm or pain in a limb or body part that has been previously amputated. Such pain can be induced by a conflict between the representation of the visual and proprioceptive feedback of the previously healthy limb. The phantom limb pain occurs in at least 42 to 90% of amputees. Regular drug treatment of phantom limb pain is almost never effective.

METHODS

A systematic review of the literature was conducted in Medline and Cochrane using the MESH terms "phantom limb pain" and "psychotherapy", published in the last 10 years, in English and Spanish, finding 49 items. After reviewing the abstracts, 25 articles were excluded for not being related to the objective of the research. Additionally cross references of included articles and literature were reviewed.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the psychotherapies used in the management of phantom limb pain, their effectiveness and clinical application reported in the literature.

AIMS

The mechanisms underlying phantom limb pain were initially explained, as were the published studies on the usefulness of some psychotherapies such as mirror visual feedback and immersive virtual reality, visual imagery, desensitization and reprocessing eye movements and hypnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The phantom limb pain is a complex syndrome that requires pharmacological and psychotherapeutic intervention. The psychotherapies that have been used the most as adjuvants in the treatment of phantom limb pain are mirror visual feedback, desensitization and reprocessing eye movements, imagery and hypnosis. Studies with more representative samples, specifically randomized trials are required.

Psychophysical Evaluation of the Capability for Phantom Limb Movement in Forearm Amputees

A phantom limb is the sensation that an amputated limb is still attached to the body and is moving together with other body parts. Phantom limb phenomenon is often described on the basis of the patient’s subjective sense, for example as represented using a visual analog scale (VAS). The aim of this study was to propose a novel quantification method for behavioral aspect of phantom limb by psychophysics. Twelve unilateral forearm amputees were asked to perform phantom wrist motion with various motion frequencies (60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200, 220, 240% of preferred speed). The attainment of phantom limb motion in each session was rated by the VAS ranging from 0 (hard) to 10 (easy). The relationship between the VAS and motion frequency was mathematically fitted by quadric function, and the value of shift and the degree of steepness were obtained as evaluation variables for the phantom limb movement. In order to test whether the proposed method can reasonably quantify the characteristics of phantom limb motion, we compared the variables among three different phantom limb movement conditions: (1) unilateral (phantom only), (2) bimanual, and (3) bimanual wrist movement with mirror reflection-induced visual feedback (MVF). While VAS rating showed a larger extent of inter- and intra-subject variability, the relationship of the VAS in response to motion frequency could be fitted by quadric curve, and the obtained parameters based on quadric function well characterize task-dependent changes in phantom limb movement. The present results suggest the potential usefulness of psychophysical evaluation as a validate assessment tool of phantom limb condition.

Successful Graded Mirror Therapy in a Patient with Chronic Deafferentation Pain in Whom Traditional Mirror Therapy was Ineffective: A Case Report

A 43-year-old man had deafferentation pain in his right upper extremity secondary to brachial plexus avulsion from a traffic accident 23 years previously. On our initial examination, he had severe tingling pain with numbness in the right fingers rated 10 on the numerical rating scale. The body perception of the affected third and fourth fingers was distorted in the flexed position. Although he performed traditional mirror therapy (TMT) for 4 weeks in the same methods as seen in previous studies, he could not obtain willed motor imagery and pain-alleviation effect. Therefore, we modified the task of TMT: Graded mirror therapy (GMT). GMT consisted of five stages: (1) observation of the mirror reflection of the unaffected side without imagining any movements of the affected side; (2) observation of the mirror reflection of the third and fourth fingers changing shape gradually adjusted from a flexed position to a extended position; (3) observation of the mirror reflection of passive movement; (4) motor imagery of affected fingers with observation of the mirror reflection (similar to TMT); (5) motor imagery of affected fingers without mirror. Each task was performed for 3 to 4 weeks. As a result, pain intensity during mirror therapy gradually decreased and finally disappeared. The body perception of the affected fingers also improved, and he could imagine the movement of the fingers with or without mirror. We suggested that GMT starting from the observation task without motor imagery may effectively decrease deafferentation pain compared to TMT.

Agency over a phantom limb and electromyographic activity on the stump depend on visuomotor synchrony: a case study

Most patients, post-amputation, report the experience of a phantom limb. Some even sense voluntary movements when viewing a mirror image of the intact limb superimposed onto the phantom limb. While delayed visual feedback of an action is known to reduce a sense of agency, the effect of delayed visual feedback on phantom motor sensation (i.e., sense of controlling a phantom limb) has not been examined. Using a video-projection system, we examined the effect of delayed visual feedback on phantom motor sensation in an upper-limb amputee (male; left upper-limb amputation). He was instructed to view mirrored video images of his intact hand clasping and unclasping during a phantom limb movement. He then rated the intensity of the phantom motor sensation. Three types of hand movement images were presented as follows: synchronous, asynchronous with a 250-ms delay, and asynchronous with a 500-ms delay. Results showed that phantom motor sensation decreased when the image was delayed by 250 and 500 ms. However, when we instructed the patient to adjust the phase of phantom limb movement to that of the image with a 500-ms delay, phantom motor sensation increased. There was also a positive correlation between intensity of phantom motor sensation and electromyographic (EMG) activity on deltoids at the patient’s stump. These results suggest that phantom motor sensation and EMG activity on the stump depend on visuomotor synchrony and top-down effects.

Inter-individual difference in the effect of mirror reflection-induced visual feedback on phantom limb awareness in forearm amputees

Objective

To test whether the phantom limb awareness could be altered by observing mirror reflection-induced visual feedback (MVF) in unilateral forearm amputees.

Methods

Ten unilateral forearm amputees were asked to perform bilateral (intact and phantom) synchronous wrist motions with and without MVF. During wrist motion, electromyographic activities in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and flexor carpi radialis muscles (FCR) were recorded with bipolar electrodes. Degree of wrist range of motion (ROM) was also recorded by electrogoniometry attached to the wrist joint of intact side. Subjects were asked to answer the degree of attainment of phantom limb motion using a visual analog scale (VAS: ranging from 0 (hard) to 10 (easy)).

Results

VAS and ROM were significantly increased by utilizing MVF, and the extent of an enhancement of the VAS and wrist ROM was positively correlated (r = 0.72, p<0.05). Although FCR EMG activity also showed significant enhancement by MVF, this was not correlated with the changes of VAS and ROM. Interestingly, while we found negative correlation between EDL EMG activity and wrist ROM, MVF generally affected to be increasing both EDL EMG and ROM.

Conclusions

Although there was larger extent of variability in the effect of MVF on phantom limb awareness, MVF has a potential to enhance phantom limb awareness, in case those who has a difficulty for the phantom limb motion. The present result suggests that the motor command to the missing limb can be re-activated by an appropriate therapeutic strategy such as mirror therapy.