If a person loses an arm, what happens to the part of the brain responsible for control of this arm?
In: Biology
That part of the brain keeps doing what it’s supposed to, but now there’s nothing for it to actually act on. This causes some weird side effects, such as phantom limb syndrome where the person continues feeling the limb even though there’s nothing there.
Often, that phantom limb will feel uncomfortable or in pain and the amputee isn’t able to undo the sensation. The treatment is unbelievable though. They use a mirror to reflect the good limb and make it look like the other is still there. The brain actually believes the illusion, even when the conscious mind knows it’s a reflection, so that the uncomfortable sensations cease.
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