PHANTOM PAIN

[Guest guest]

You may want to look at a book I can highly recommnd for many reasons including

what it has to say about phantom limb: The Mind & The Brain; Neuroplasticity and

the Power of Mental Force, by Schwartz and Sharon Begley, Growing out of

SDchwartz " work with OCD (Brain Lock) that demonstrated brain changes with the

healing of this disorder this book is about how the brain rewires itself when

behavioral changes are established or when neurophsyiological changes occur,

e.g. amputation which removes a source of sensory input.

Schwartz persuasively argues that in the phantom limb situation other sources of

sensory input start to use the brain real estate that is no longer receiving

sensory input from the amputated limb. In other words, there is always a kind of

competition to maximize usage of neuronal circuitry so that dendrites will

particularly be extended in to an area that is being under-exercised. Thus,

stroke victims recover function slowly as dendritic connections move into

unaffected areas of the brain. But, in the case of phantom limb, it is the

incoming nerves that no longer work, not the receiving brain area; and the

representation of the limb encoded in the brain area in question is still

intact. As the new sources of input invade the area, phantom limb sensations

develop. If this is true - as I think it is - neurofeedback would need to work

somehow with the new sources of input; but I can't conceive how.

This book has raised many other questions in my mind about how neurofeedback

achieves its effects. Since I use HEG, I was also particularly interested to

learn that ANY type of exercise of focussed attention will increase frontal

bloodflow. The book is well written and covers many other issues related to the

general topic of " neuroplasticity " of dendritic growth and pruning.

Larry

> ------- Phantom Pain

>

> A friend has asked me if neurofeedback could help him with phantom

> pain he has suffered from from many years from a leg amputation. I

> searched the email archives but found no reference to phantom pain.

>

> I know that temperature biofeedfeedback is used for this, but

> wondered if anyone knew of using neurofeedback as well? Perhaps

> alpha/theta training?

>

> It makes sense to me that since it is ultimately the brain

> misinterpreting information from the injured nerves, that perhaps

> neurofeedback could be beneficial. Thanks!

>

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[Guest guest]

Another Reference is a soft cover January 2002 "A User's Guide to The Brain" by J. Ratey M.D. (He has written several books) It is to long to go into detail here. page 86- Plasticity, Phantom Limbs and Pain.

For many years ( in dark aages) phantom limb patients were farmed out to psychologists. who told them they were practicing a form of "wish fulfillment".

Goes on to explain the pain circuit. How the weak circuit is inhibited by the dominant one. How the somatosensory cortex learns--how our brains adapt in ways that improve performance.

Another book is Ref. on P317 V. S Ramachandran and Blakeslee's "Phantoms in the Brain" which I have not read.

Approximately 70% of amputee's experience this pain

Dudley

From: Eure <jessicamarieeure@...> Date: Wed, Sep-1-2004 4:45 PM Subject: Phantom Pain A friend has asked me if neurofeedback could help him with phantom pain he has suffered from from many years from a leg amputation. I searched the email archives but found no reference to phantom pain. I know that temperature biofeedfeedback is used for this, but wondered if anyone knew of using neurofeedback as well? Perhaps alpha/theta training? It makes sense to me that since it is ultimately the brain misinterpreting information from the injured nerves, that perhaps neurofeedback could be beneficial. Thanks!