- Home
- Find a Therapist
- Topic Streams
- Get Help
Mental Health
Addiction
ADHD
Anxiety
Asperger's
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Eating Disorders
Insomnia
OCDPersonality
Passive Aggression
Personality
ShynessPersonal Growth
Happiness
Goal Setting
Positive PsychologyRelationships
Low Sexual Desire
Relationships
SexEmotion Management
Anger
Procrastination
StressFamily Life
Adolescents
Child Development
Elder Care
Parenting
SiblingsRecently Diagnosed?
Diagnosis Dictionary
- Magazine
- Tests
- Psych Basics
- Experts
Phantom of the Operation
Why do most amputees feel "phantom" sensations, like pain in their missing limbs? It may stem from some unexpected brain rewiring. Scientists have discovered that after amputation, nerve fibers from the stump actually grow new connections—some of which activate brain areas that once monitored the now absent limb. So the brain interprets incoming signals as coming from the missing body part, report Vanderbilt's Sherre Florence and colleagues.
Normally, adult neurons don't grow at all, notes Jon Kaas, Ph.D. If scientists can figure out why they do so after amputation, "we can direct neuronal growth to occur when we want it"—like after a stroke.



