German scientists have developed a hand prostheses designed to reduce phantom pain after an underarm amputation. Researchers at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, in collaboration with trauma surgeons of the Jena University Hospital, modified conventional hand prostheses to provide feedback between the artificial hand and the brain. Initial tests of the medical device with patients have produced positive reactions, and researchers hope to test additional patients soon.
The hand prosthesis contains sensors on the thumb, and between thumb and index finger, which transmit sensory information to a stimulation unit cuffed to the remaining part of the upper arm. According to Dr Gunther Hofmann of the Jena University Hospital, the pressure sensors were originally intended only to regulate grip strength. But with the ability to send the sensory information to the upper arm, “the brain picks up the feedback from the prosthesis as if it was one´s own hand." This feedback helps defeat phantom pain by preventing or reversing the re-organization of the brain that occurs when a limb is lost. When brain structures originally responsible for the lost arm’s stimulus processing are suddenly "out of work," they begin to process other stimuli, leading to pain.
Professor Thomas Weiss from the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena explained how difficult phantom pain has been to treat. It is resistant to therapy, and symptoms persist even with high dosages of painkillers which can put patients at risk of addiction. Unlike physical wounds that can heal, phantom pain may last a lifetime. Via Eurekalert.
Ms. Graham is a writer and editor with a current focus on health and wellness. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Erin Monda