REACTIONS TO LOSS OF LIMB: PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECTS

In our work with the physically handicapped, as in current work with the mentally ill, we find a curious dichotomy: those who deal with the physical or physiological aspects often profess little interest in the psychological factors and, conversely, psychologists and psychiatrists tend to neglect physiology. T believe that the proper study of the amputee requires both physiology and psychology; the two approaches are complementary rather than mutually exclusive. With this in mind, the work I have done on effects of amputation has been divided into three parts: (1) sensory changes in the stump, ( 2 ) appearance of phantom sensations, and (3) psychological aspects of loss of limb. In a survey of the literature, 1 had already found that studies of sensory functions in amputation stumps are quite rare (in contrast to the numerous descriptions of changes in somatosensory functions after brain damage). Likewise, although there is no dearth of literature describing the nature of phantom limb (the illusion of continued presence of a limb or parts of it, after amputation) , the phenomenon itself remains puzzling. Further investigation showed only meager reports in the literature on the psychological effects on the amputee.