Phantoms in the brain

After amputation many people experience vivid sensations of the body part they have lost.1 These “sensory ghosts” can arise within hours of the loss of the limb and are often painful. Such phenomena have been a mysterious part of medical lore for over a century, but recent research suggests that phantoms can teach us substantial lessons about the organisation and plasticity of the brain. Fig 1. How amputees perceive their phantoms (Credit: ALEXA WRIGHT) We stand to learn most from phantoms if we attend closely to patients' subjective reports. One innovative study, for example, has made use of digital photography to depict how amputees perceive their phantoms (fig 1) (A Wright et al, Wellcome Trust Sci Art Project, 1997). By remaining true to patients' own experiences, the researchers found it …