Diers Martin, Schredl Michael, Flor Herta, Bekrater-Bodmann Robin
Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
Clinical and Experimental Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstrasse 1-3, 44791, Bochum, Germany.
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 22;15(1):9919. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-83000-7.
Phantom limb pain (PLP) is a common consequence of the amputation of a limb. Individuals with congenital limb absence (here: congenital amputees), however, seem to rarely experience PLP. Previous results suggest that the experience of PLP in the waking state affects the recalled body appearance in dreams of individuals with acquired limb amputation, with PLP being associated with the recall of an impaired rather than an intact body. However, it remains unclear how congenital amputees - who never experienced an intact body and rarely PLP - recall their body appearance in dreams. In the present cross-sectional study, we assessed body-related dream content in a sample of adult congenital amputees and compared their reports with those from adult persons with an acquired limb amputation early in life. We found that congenital amputees reported the least frequent dreams with an intact body, and after birth, the age at amputation positively predicted the recall of an intact body in dreams. The effects were not explained by time since amputation and the presence or absence of PLP. This suggests that life experiences of an intact body find expression in self-related dream content.
幻肢痛（PLP）是肢体截肢后的常见后果。然而，先天性肢体缺失者（此处指先天性截肢者）似乎很少经历幻肢痛。先前的研究结果表明，清醒状态下的幻肢痛体验会影响后天肢体截肢者梦境中对身体外观的回忆，幻肢痛与回忆起受损而非完整的身体有关。然而，目前尚不清楚从未体验过完整身体且很少经历幻肢痛的先天性截肢者在梦中如何回忆自己的身体外观。在本横断面研究中，我们评估了成年先天性截肢者样本中与身体相关的梦境内容，并将他们的报告与早年后天肢体截肢的成年人的报告进行了比较。我们发现，先天性截肢者报告梦境中出现完整身体的频率最低，并且出生后截肢的年龄正向预测了梦中完整身体的回忆。这些影响不能用截肢后的时间以及是否存在幻肢痛来解释。这表明完整身体的生活经历会在与自我相关的梦境内容中体现出来。
