Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Amputees can experience several types of physical illusions and phantom limb phenomenon. The objective was to establish a synthetic classification of theses perceptions.

METHOD:

Prospective study in 75 amputees (group 1: amputation (n = 60), group 2: congenital defect). The subjects were asked first to report their perceptions spontaneously and then to detail the perception, if exist, of the missing limb: form recognition, posture, movement, reminiscence of a lost limb.

RESULTS:

Different types of perception were described besides the perception of the real state : normal, deformed or commemorative phantom limb and illusion of a normal body.

DISCUSSION:

Whatever the model (i.e.: neuro-matrix) which support the construction of the scheme and the body image, the representations related to identified perceptions, use various innate, autobiographic and identity frames of references as well as instantaneous peripheral information, treated by reorganized cerebral structures. Each type of perception is related to a particular representation pattern.

CONCLUSION:

This approach, in accordance with the literature, offers a better understanding of the differences between amelic and amputated subjects and of their perception of any prosthetic equipment.