Temperature Feedback Allows Amputees to Feel Warmth in a Missing Hand
Temperature Feedback Is Essential for Relaying Information That Goes Beyond Touch
Published: 2023-05-18
Author: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne | Contact: epfl.ch/en/
Peer-Reviewed Publication: Yes
Journal Reference: DOI Link to the Study Paper
Library of Related Papers: Prostheses – Prosthetics Publications
Synopsis: The added sensation of temperature feedback is another step towards building bionic prosthetics for repairing the human body. For the first time, after many years of research showing touch and position information can be successfully delivered, we envisage the possibility of restoring all of the rich sensations the natural hand can provide. Temperature feedback is a nice sensation because you feel the limb, the phantom limb, entirely. It does not feel phantom anymore because your limb is back.
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Definition
Phantom Limb Syndrome
Phantom limb syndrome is a condition in which patients experience sensations, whether painful or otherwise, in a limb that does not exist. The pain is real, but it feels like it’s happening in the missing body part. It has been reported to occur in 80-100% of amputees, and typically has a chronic course, often resistant to treatment. Research continues to explore the underlying mechanisms of phantom limb pain (PLP) and [...]