Ap Psychology Case Studies

Over the years scientists have noted many complaints of a strange form of pain called phantom limb pain. This pain is strange because it is located in an appendage that no longer exists. By many of the amputees the pain is described as totally unbearable. Phantom limb pain has even driven some victims crazy. For the amputee population this is a very real problem that definitely needs to be solved.

The phantom limb pain the woman is experiencing is described as a painful condition of the amputated limb after the stump has completely healed. It is a chronic pain that occurs in more than 80% of amputees especially those who suffered pain in the limb before the amputation. Theories suggest that phantom limb pain results from redevelopment or hyperactivity of cut peripheral nerves, scar tissue or neuroma formation in the cut peripheral nerves, spinal cord deafferentation, and alterations in the thalamus and cortex. More so, the CNS integration, which involves reorganization and plastic modifications of the somatosensory cortex, effects the receptors in perceiving the pain of the amputated limb despite of the limb itself being absent. In addition,

Over time, doctors have seen countless patients that have complained of a strange form of pain sensation called phantom limb pain. The pain that patients are describing is occurring in appendages that are no longer part of their bodies. Many of these amputees have described this pain as utterly unbearable. For the amputee population, this is a very real problem that needs to be solved. Pain that is occurring in phantom limbs is very common in amputees. Mostly all amputees experience the sensation of phantom limb pain. Two-thirds of patients experience phantom limb pain, even 25 years after the loss of the limb. (Woodhouse) The vivid experience of a phantom limb often includes non-painful phantom sensations as which frequently reported in patients with phantom pain (Woodhouse).

normally patients with these syndromes were sterile, and Eric had little body hair and had told him he never

When a test for sensation was administered using a cotton ball, there were a couple of instances in which Angelo was able to feel the touch of the cotton ball towards the end of his left hand; however, Angelo was not able to locate where one touched his skin using the cotton ball. It indicates that Angelo has diminished touch on the radial side of his left upper extremity post-stroke.

Phantom limb pain is the most fascinating phenomenon I have read about in the health field so far. The concept is crazy to imagine on your own body. The first time I have ever heard of phantom limb pain was in the first session of this Honors class, and I remember sitting in my chair shocked that this could possibly be a real experience for some.

When someone goes to move their hand to pick up an object many parts of the brain become activated. The cerebrum, relates to motor movement and when it is activated chemical messages begin getting sent all over the brain. The parietal lobe, which is in fact in charge of motor movement, becomes aware and prepares the brain to get ready for the action, this is a normal process occurs in humans. The problem is that this same process is happening to patients who have missing limbs. They feel as though they are reaching out to grab an object but the amputated part cannot reach for the object (Ramachandran 45). It seems as though these “phantom limbs” are still receiving signals from the brain to conduct these actions. “Sensory input from the face and upper arm activates brain areas that correspond to the “hand”

When a person loses a limb, it is never a clean cut; whether it be the remnants of gore from the cut, the trauma of the loss, or the non-physical remnant of the limb itself, known as Phantom Limb Syndrome. Despite effecting 80% of all amputees, the sensation itself continues to mystify neuroscientists and is not yet fully understood. The most popularized type of phantom are the painful ones, seeing as it affects 50-80% of amputees regardless of whether their amputation was traumatic or done in a hospital for their health, but phantom limbs are not all painful and can come in many shapes, sizes, and types of sensations. (873)

For my final paper topic, I have chosen to discuss phantom limb pain. I was inspired to write about phantom limb pain after a recent visit to the Veterans Affairs hospital. I will be explaining the physiological aspects, including involvements of nerves, spinal cord, and the brain, as well as the psychological aspects, including grief, stress, depression and anxiety of phantom limb pain. According to Goldstein (2010), phantom limb pain is a phenomenon that a person whose limb has been amputated continues to experience the sensation of the limb (p.344). Along with the sensation of the amputated limb, patients can also experience pain, tingling, numbness, and temperature changes. People who were born without a limb can also experience phantom

This is more common in amputees. There is not a definite cause of phantom limb pain and no real treatment. Phantom limb pain gives the victim a sense of illusion, therefore leading them to believe that they feel pain in a limb they don’t have. The sensation from phantom limb pain is from the pain experienced before the limb was removed. This is caused by the brain sending pain signals throughout the body.

Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is a serious condition that occurs when a person who has lost a part of their body though amputation, trauma (brachial plexus), or loss of nervous connections in an appendage, perceives that the limb is still there and experiences sensations coming from this area. It was first described in 1866 by S. Weir Mitchell, an American neurologist, through a short story published in Atlantic Monthly. While Mitchell may then have wondered if this was specific to wounded Civil War soldiers, it has since been established as quite common (1). Over 70% of amputees report phantom limb pain for years after amputation (2). Several theories have been proposed regarding PLP, although there is still much to be

The earliest hypothesis regarding the cause of phantom limbs and pain was that of neuromas. These were thought to be nodules comprised of remaining nerves located at the end of the stump. These neuromas presumably continued to generate impulses that traveled up the spinal cord to portions of the thalamus and somatosensory domains of the cortex. As a result, treatment involved cutting the nerves just above the neuroma in an attempt to interrupt signaling at each somatosensory level (5). This and other related theories were deemed unsatisfactory because of the fact the phantom pain always returned, indicating that there was a more complex reason.

Sacks discussed the ideas behind the phantom limb and how they affected many peoples live. The most interesting story was about a sailor that accidentally cut off his index finger. For forty years he thought he would poke himself in the eye whenever he moved his hand to his face. One day he lost the feeling in his entire hand including his phantom finger and his problem was cured (Sacks 66-67). Up to 70 percent of amputees confirmed that they still feel or still thought a missing limb was there. They often feel that they can reach out and grab something. Some won't sleep in a certain way because they feel the missing limb between them and the mattress. The sensations felt stem from the activity of the sensory axons

An extensive matrix of neurons in the brain gives us the sense of our own bodies and body parts. Pain results when this matrix produces an abnormal pattern of activity, as a result of memories, emotions, expectations or signals from various brain centres and not just from signals from peripheral nerves. Because of the lack of sensory stimulation or a person’s efforts to move a nonexistent limb, abnormal patterns may arise, resulting in phantom pain.

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