New Study Challenges Long-Held Beliefs About Phantom Limbs and Brain Maps
TL;DR Summary
A recent study published in Nature Neuroscience challenges the long-held belief that the brain's body map reorganizes after limb amputation. Instead, the research shows that the brain's representation of the missing limb remains stable for years, which has significant implications for understanding phantom limb sensations and developing prosthetic technologies. The findings suggest that therapies targeting brain map reorganization may be ineffective, and future approaches should focus on nerve signaling and brain-computer interfaces.
- 'Phantom Limbs' May Not Be What We Thought, Surprising Study Finds ScienceAlert
- In the brain, a lost limb is never really gone NPR
- Scientists have been wrong about phantom limbs for decades – new study The Conversation
- Stable cortical body maps before and after arm amputation Nature
- The Brain’s Map of the Body Is Surprisingly Stable—Even after a Limb Is Lost Scientific American
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