• Caroline Dietrich, Katrin Walter-Walsh, Sandra Preissler, Gunther O Hofmann, Otto W Witte, Wolfgang H R Miltner, and Thomas Weiss.
• Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University, Am Steiger 3/Haus 1, D-07743 Jena, Germany.
• Neurosci. Lett. 2012 Jan 24; 507 (2): 97-100.

BackgroundConstrained functionality and phantom limb pain (PLP) are major concerns for forearm amputees. Neuroscientific investigations of PLP suggest that behaviorally relevant stimulation of the stump can decrease PLP. Furthermore the prosthesis user could use feedback information of the prosthesis hand for optimizing prosthesis motor control when handling soft and fragile objects. Somatosensory feedback information from a prosthetic hand may therefore help to improve prosthesis functionality and reduce phantom limb pain.ObjectivesWe wanted to find out whether a two weeks training on a hand prosthesis that provides somatosensory feedback may help to improve prosthesis functionality and reduce phantom limb pain.MethodsEight forearm amputees with phantom limb pain were trained for two weeks to use a hand prosthesis with somatosensory feedback on grip strength.ResultsThe current study demonstrates a significant increase of functionality of the prosthesis in everyday tasks. Furthermore, the study shows that usage of a prosthesis that provides somatosensory feedback on the grip strength is effective to reduce phantom limb pain.ConclusionsA prosthesis with a feedback function appears to be a promising therapeutic tool to reduce phantom limb pain and to increase functionality in everyday tasks. Future studies should further investigate the scope of application of that principle.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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