NIH

NIH: Phantom limb study findings defy decades of neuroscience dogma

August 22, 2025

New research has upended the long-standing belief that the brain’s sensory cortex reorganizes after limb amputation. Published in Nature Neuroscience, NIH researchers used functional MRI to track three individuals before and for up to five years after arm loss. Despite expectations, the cortical representation of the missing hand remained stable, with no evidence of takeover by neighboring regions like the lips.

This challenges the foundational concept of cortical plasticity following limb loss and may explain persistent phantom limb sensations. The findings suggest that the brain’s internal body map is more resilient than previously thought, prompting a reevaluation of how clinicians understand and manage post-amputation neural adaptation. These insights could inform the development of more effective prosthetics and pain therapies that don’t rely on outdated models of brain reorganization.

Source:

(2025, August 21). National Institutes of Health. Phantom limb study rewires our understanding of the brain. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/phantom-limb-study-rewires-our-understanding-brain