Phantom Pain

Phantom Limbs

In this lesson, you are going to learn about a phenomena called "phantom limbs", where folks missing a limb sometimes still feel that it is there.

You are about to see a series of true and false questions!

YOU ARE NOT GRADED ON THESE QUESTIONS!

These are meant to help prime your brain for what you are about to learn about!

Poll

People who have lost a limb can still feel it in complete lifelike detail.

 

• True

• False

Poll

Phantom limb pain is typically not painful for most individuals.

 

• True

• False

Poll

Sensory neurons in our limbs help us understand where our bodies are in space.

 

 

• True

• False

Poll

After an amputation, the way signals travel through the body remains unchanged.

 

 

• True

• False

Poll

Scientists fully understand why some amputees escape phantom pain, while others do not.

 

 

• True

• False

As you watch the video, I recommend that you take a few notes! It might help you process what you are learning.

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On the next slide, you will find a video!

Multiple Choice

1. What can people who have lost a limb still feel?

• Only memories of the limb

• lifelike detail of the limb

• No sensations at all

• Only vague shapes of the limb

Multiple Choice

2. Who can OCCASIONALLY feel a phantom limb?

• Only those who have lost a limb

• Only those born with limbs

• People born without a limb

• Only elderly people

Multiple Choice

3. What do phantom limb sensations suggest about our brains?

• We have no map of the body in our brains

• We have a map of the body in our brains

• The brain cannot process physical sensations

• The brain only processes pain sensations

Multiple Choice

After an amputation, what happens to nerve endings?

• They disappear completely

• They thicken and become more sensitive

• They heal quickly

• They become less sensitive

Multiple Choice

Why might some amputees not feel phantom pain?

• They are always in good health

• It's unknown why some escape the pain

• They have never had a limb

• They use prosthetics

Multiple Choice

What do phantom limbs remind us about our experiences?

• They are always objective

• They are subjective realities

• They are only physical sensations

• They do not affect our lives

Multiple Choice

What is the cortical homunculus?

• A model of the human body with equal parts

• A model of the human body based on nerve endings

• A model of the brain's structure

• A model of how we perceive pain

Multiple Choice

How can phantom pain be treated?

• Only through medication

• Through a combination of treatments including physical therapy

• Only with mirror box therapy

• There is no treatment for phantom pain

Multiple Choice

What does mirror box therapy involve?

• Using a mirror to see only the phantom limb

• Placing the intact limb in front of a mirror while the phantom limb is behind

• Using virtual reality only

• Ignoring the phantom limb completely

Multiple Choice

What do scientists hope to learn from studying phantom limbs?

• how to create more limbs

• more about how the brain perceives reality

• how to prevent all types of pain

• why some people are born without limbs

Open Ended

What did you learn about your brain and nerves?