Department of Psychology, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Disabil Rehabil. 2011;33(23-24):2186-95. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2011.563816. Epub 2011 Mar 29.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a distressing condition experienced by many amputees. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether motor imagery could be used to treat PLP.
Four single case studies were conducted. The participants kept a pain diary in which they recorded the intensity of their PLP during a baseline period, general motor imagery training, phantom limb movement therapy and a follow-up period. Qualitative and quantitative (i.e. interrupted time series) analyses were employed to determine whether phantom limb movement therapy had a significant effect on PLP intensity.
Phantom limb movement therapy significantly reduced intensity of PLP in one participant. One participant gained occasional relief by doing phantom limb movement therapy exercises but did not experience an overall reduction in PLP intensity. The third participant did not experience any relief and the fourth participant reported experiencing the re-emergence of an old pain.
The results display individual differences in response to phantom limb movement therapy. Individual differences are discussed in the context of motor imagery ability and the phantom limb phenomenon as a multi-dimensional disorder.
幻肢痛（PLP）是许多截肢患者经历的一种痛苦状况。本研究旨在探讨运动想象是否可用于治疗 PLP。
进行了四项单案例研究。参与者记录了他们在基线期、一般运动想象训练、幻肢运动治疗和随访期期间 PLP 强度的疼痛日记。采用定性和定量（即中断时间序列）分析来确定幻肢运动治疗是否对 PLP 强度有显著影响。
幻肢运动治疗显著降低了一名参与者 PLP 的强度。一名参与者通过进行幻肢运动治疗练习偶尔获得缓解，但并未经历 PLP 强度的总体降低。第三名参与者没有得到任何缓解，第四名参与者报告说出现了旧疼痛的重新出现。
结果显示出对幻肢运动治疗的个体差异反应。个体差异在运动想象能力和作为多维障碍的幻肢现象的背景下进行了讨论。
