There’s a fascinating study in the journal Neuroimage that reports that people who have had a limb amputated show reduction in the volume of grey matter in the thalamus – a complex deep brain structure.
The study, led by neuroscientist Dr Bogdan Draganski, scanned the brains of 28 patients whose limbs had been surgically removed.
The reduction in grey matter volume was typically found on the opposite side of the thalamus to the amputated limb.
As movement-related brain structures are largely involved with actions on the opposite side of the body, this suggests that the absence of the limb is affecting an area directly involved in its coordination and control.
Crucially, the amount of grey matter reduction was correlated with the time since the limb was amputated, suggesting that the brains of the patients were continuously reorganising in light of the serious change in action, sensation and body image.
These findings are likely to have significant implications for the field of neuroprosthetics that aims to interface prosthetic replacements for damaged body parts directly with the nervous system.
Knowing how the nervous system changes over time in response to injury will enable neuroprosthetic devices to make best use of the remaining function.
Link to abstract of study.
Mind Hacks 