Linked Life Data

21180360

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/21180360

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
10
pubmed:dateCreated
2010-12-24
pubmed:abstractText
Pain synaesthetes experience pain in a presensitised region when observing or imagining another person in pain. We conducted an upper-limb embodiment study using a modified rubber-hand illusion in which lower-limb amputees originally participated as control subjects for the upper-limb amputees. While we found all subjects experienced topographic illusory sensations, we also serendipitously found that lower-limb amputee pain synaesthetes experienced pain or a motor response in their phantom leg when the embodied hand was threatened (e.g., with a retractable knife, mousetrap, or syringe) or submitted to high-frequency stimulation (e.g., vibration). Embodiment illusions were brought about by touching, manipulating, or threatening a rubber or real hand which was observed through a mirror so that it was superimposed upon the target hand (phantom hand for upper-limb amputees, or real hand in others). Participants included eight pain synaesthetes (six lower-limb amputees, one upper-limb amputee, and one nonamputee), and thirty-one controls (eight lower-limb amputees, twelve upper-limb amputees, and eleven nonamputees). We documented participant's subjective reports, together with quantitative measures including the Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy. We found no association between pain synaesthesia and empathy scores. On the basis of related literature we suggest that pain synaesthetes likely experienced phantom-leg pain because (a) the motor system was already engaged during visual capture; (b) threatening stimuli, to which they are hyper-vigilant, triggered avoidance or 'escape' motor schemata; and (c) there could be no feedback confirming that initiated motor schemata for the phantom limb were successfully performed. Ultimately, we have further defined this new condition, synaesthesia for pain, as not only having a sensory pain component, but also a key motor component, manifesting itself in avoidance, contraction, and withdrawal 'actions'.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0301-0066
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
39
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
1396-407
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2010
pubmed:articleTitle
Ouch! My phantom leg jumps/hurts when you stab "my" virtual hand.
pubmed:affiliation
Experimental Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. melita.giummarra@monash.edu.au
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article