Mirror Box
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Function
A Mirror Box is a box with two mirrors in the center. It was invented by Vilayanur S. Ramachandran as a cure for phantom limb pain.
Science
To retrain the brain and alleviate the learned phantom pain, the patient places the normal limb on one side of the mirrors and the phantom limb on the other. The patient then makes symmetric movements with both hands. Because the patient is seeing the mirror image of the good hand moving, it appears that the phantom limb is in motion. This makes it possible for the patient to "move" the phantom limb out of a bad position.[1][2][3][4]
Notes
- ↑ Altschuler, E. L.; S. B. Wisdom & L. Stone et al. (1999), "Rehabilitation of hemiparesis after stroke with a mirror.", Lancet (no. 353(9169)): 2035-2036
- ↑ Karl, A.; W. Muhlnickel & R. Kurth et al. (2004), "Neuroelectric source imaging of steady-state movement-related cortical potentials in human upper extremity amputees with and without phantom limb pain", Pain 110 (1-2): 90-102
- ↑ Flor, H.; M. Diers & C. Christmann et al. (2006), "Mirror illusions of phantom hand movements. Brain activity mapped by fMRI", NeuroImage 31: S159
- ↑ Ramachandran, V. S. & D. C. Rogers-Ramachandran (1996), "Synaesthesia in phantom limbs induced with mirrors.", Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (no. 263(1369)): 377-386