Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Am Steiger 3/Haus 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
Neurosci Lett. 2012 Jan 24;507(2):97-100. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2011.10.068. Epub 2011 Nov 7.
Constrained functionality and phantom limb pain (PLP) are major concerns for forearm amputees. Neuroscientific investigations of PLP suggest that behaviorally relevant stimulation of the stump can decrease PLP. Furthermore the prosthesis user could use feedback information of the prosthesis hand for optimizing prosthesis motor control when handling soft and fragile objects. Somatosensory feedback information from a prosthetic hand may therefore help to improve prosthesis functionality and reduce phantom limb pain.
We wanted to find out whether a two weeks training on a hand prosthesis that provides somatosensory feedback may help to improve prosthesis functionality and reduce phantom limb pain.
Eight forearm amputees with phantom limb pain were trained for two weeks to use a hand prosthesis with somatosensory feedback on grip strength.
The current study demonstrates a significant increase of functionality of the prosthesis in everyday tasks. Furthermore, the study shows that usage of a prosthesis that provides somatosensory feedback on the grip strength is effective to reduce phantom limb pain.
A prosthesis with a feedback function appears to be a promising therapeutic tool to reduce phantom limb pain and to increase functionality in everyday tasks. Future studies should further investigate the scope of application of that principle.
功能受限和幻肢痛（PLP）是前臂截肢者的主要关注点。对 PLP 的神经科学研究表明，对残肢进行行为相关刺激可以减轻 PLP。此外，假肢使用者在处理柔软和易碎物体时可以使用假肢手的反馈信息来优化假肢运动控制。因此，假肢的本体感觉反馈信息可能有助于提高假肢的功能并减轻幻肢痛。
我们想了解在手假肢上进行两周的训练，该手假肢提供本体感觉反馈，是否有助于改善假肢的功能并减轻幻肢痛。
对 8 名患有幻肢痛的前臂截肢者进行了为期两周的训练，以使用具有本体感觉反馈的手假肢来增强握力。
本研究表明，假肢在日常任务中的功能明显提高。此外，该研究表明，使用提供握力本体感觉反馈的假肢可有效减轻幻肢痛。
具有反馈功能的假肢似乎是一种有前途的治疗工具，可以减轻幻肢痛并提高日常任务的功能。未来的研究应进一步探讨该原理的应用范围。
