Over the past few weeks, we worked on preparing our members for the upcoming science fair as well as working on our own projects. The was an opportunity for us to explore global issues and the ethical implications of certain neurological diseases and treatments.

Shreya and I decided to do a research project on Phantom limbs. When Limbs are amputated the leftover nerve cells can often give off mixed signals which can trick the brain into thinking that the limb is still there.  Dr Vilayanur Ramachandrans is a pioneering scientist in this field of study, asking questions such as Why can we feel pain in a limb that isn’t there? How can we itch an invisible itch? How will drugs that are intended to work on the physical bodywork on the invisible body?

Ramachandran came up with the idea of mirror therapy for phantom limb pain in the 1990s.  It tries to get the patient to visualise their missing limb, often doing something casual or relaxing so our previous experiences signal the brain that there is a familiar and relaxing feeling which can put the mind at ease. This idea of visualisation can be seen with athletes too some athletes swear by it; they first visualize themselves performing perfectly—a perfect run down that ski slope, a perfect long jump, a faultless throw of the javelin—and then when they do the real action their brain is primed for the right moves, allowing the athlete to relax effortlessly into the right motions. Though this helps some people there is still controversy surrounding it.

The brain constructs how you feel your pain based on your past experiences and beliefs, and even your genetics, as well as on the actual physical pain sensation from your hand. If you expect your hand to still be on fire after 10 minutes of cold water, it likely will be; your brain will keep the pain volume turned up. If you have been burnt before and know it will sting for a while but is no big deal, your brain will turn down the pain. It’s a sort of placebo effect, a little different from when a mother tells her child that she will kiss the grazed knee better, and the child’s tears dry instantly and she runs happily back to play.

Shreya and I were able to explore the ethical impacts of administering drugs or even placebos considering that they aren’t necessarily going to work. Doctors are meant to help their patient but if they use placebos there is a chance that It might not work. There are also ethical questions about whether giving pain killers for phantom limb pains is ethical considering that pain killers can be addictive and we are using them to treat something in a way we aren’t completely sure about.

The link above is a video of the example of mirror therapy which is a treatment for Phantom Limb sensation.