explain
pain
1
section
23
page
Even if you are bornwithout limbs, it is still
possible to have phantom limbs.
47
What this tells
us is that theremust be a virtual body in the
brain from birth. This virtual body is further
constructed, refined and added to as we grow and
do new things. Take, for example, learning to kick
a ball. Themap of the leg would link to areas in
your brain that are involved in balance and
coordination and the use of particularmuscles.
Some studies using brain imaging
48-50
have shown
that phantom pain is associatedwith extensive
alterations in the way that parts of the brain are
organised. In fact, imaging studies show that
marked changes occur in the brainwith any
chronic pain situation, not just phantom pain.
51-53
These alterations result in changes in the virtual
body. For example, in the case of phantom leg
pain, the brain area related to the leg actually
‘smudges’ so that there is no longer a clearly
outlined virtual leg in the brain.
the sensory map in the brain
Groups of neurones devoted to body parts (the homunculus)
are in a thin strip of brain just above your ear
head
chest
teeth
face
hand
knee
foot
intestine
fingers
tongue
pharynx
genitals
