Thesis (Ph. D.)--Washington State University. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.D.)—Boston University

No description available.

A number of investigators have suggested that the early and late phases of the formalin test are mediated by separate neural systems. Evidence is presented which suggests that in addition to a dissociation between the two phases based on nociceptor stimulation and inflammation, the late phase of the formalin test is also dependent upon plasticity in the central nervous system which occurs during the transient early phase. Selectively blocking neural activity during the early phase with local anesthetics given peripherally, or in the cingulum bundle or fornix, prevents the development of these changes. Locally anesthetizing the cingulum bundle, fornix or medial bulboreticular formation prior to testing in the late phase produces analgesia which exceeds the duration of the anesthetic. It was also demonstrated that a thermal injury to the hindpaw or electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve prior to neurectomy produces changes in the pattern and severity of self-mutilation following peripheral neurectomy, suggesting that the injury is encoded and maintained in central structures.

The four studies in this thesis deal with peripheral and central factors in phantom limb phenomena. Study 1 documents sensations referred to the phantom limb during transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied at the outer ears, face, and torso. The results suggest that some phantom sensations are maintained by activity of sympathetic fibers in the stump. Other sensations appear not to involve a peripheral mechanism. Studies 2 and 3 focus on sympathetic nervous system correlates of phantom sensations reported during TENS applied at the outer ears and contralateral leg. The results indicate that TENS significantly reduces the intensity of phantom limb paresthesias whereas a placebo control has no effect. Significant relationships between (a) phantom limb intensity and (b) stump skin conductance and temperature suggest that a cycle of sympathetic-efferent-somatic-afferent activity explains phantom limb paresthesias. Skin temperature was significantly lower at the stump than the intact limb in amputees with phantom limb pain (PLP), but not in those with a painless phantom, or no phantom limb at all, indicating that PLP is associated with reduced blood flow to the stump. Study 4 examines PLP that resembles pain experienced in the limb before amputation. These somatosensory memories constitute compelling evidence of a purely central component of PLP. Finally, amputees with and without PLP could not be differentiated by scores on personality, depression, or anxiety inventories. The results of the four studies indicate that the experience of phantom limb paresthesias involves a central mechanism that acts on peripheral structures whereas others qualities of experience depend exclusively on activation of central neural structures. Implications for treatment, research, and clinical practice are discussed.

No description available.

Phantom Limb pain (PLP) affects up to 85% of all patients following an amputation, causing debilitating effects on their quality of life. Mirror Therapy (MT) has been reported to have potential success for the alleviation of PLP. Current understanding of PLP and the efficacy of MT for its alleviation are still unclear, therefore guidelines for treatment protocols are lacking. This literature review assesses the current best evidence for using MT to alleviate PLP of patients with amputation. Method: The authors systematically searched the academic databases Medline, Amed, CINAHL and Google Scholar, using key search terms with inclusion and exclusion criteria to identify relevant articles on the use of MT in populations of patients suffering PLP after unilateral limb amputation. Findings: Seven primary papers were identified and appraised. All the articles reported significant PLP alleviation after using MT with a trend for achieving phantom limb movement (PLM) prior to pain relief. Conclusions: Mirror Therapy is a promising intervention for PLP. Regular MT sessions are required to maintain treatment effect. Causes of PLP and pathways to its alleviation may be multifactorial; therefore further well-conducted RCTs are required to identify best practice.

Introduction: This study investigates a new form of Mirror Therapy (MT), the Mirror Specs. Evidence suggests that MT is a non-invasive, cost effective method of reducing pain and increasing functioning in some chronic pain conditions. There is no clear explanation for the underlying mechanisms of MT, however, a plausible hypothesis suggests that adaptation to the Body Schema is an integral component. Aims and Hypotheses: The current study examined Body Schema adaptation in healthy participants when performing a Finger Tapping Task with both Mirror Specs and a Mirror Box. It was hypothesised that adaptation would be indicated by increases in Reaction Times (RTs) and Error Rates when comparing unimanual phases of a Finger Tapping Task, following a bimanual „adaptation‟ phase. It was hypothesised that there would be no difference between participants‟ ability to adapt to each device. Finally, the study proposed that there would be a relationship between the adaptation observed on the Finger Tapping Task and participants individual imagery abilities. Method: Participants performed 4 phases of a Finger Tapping Task with alternate bimanual and unimanual phases when using both the Mirror Specs and Mirror Box. Imagery abilities were measured using self-report questionnaires and a Motor Imagery computer task. Results and Discussion: Repeated Measures ANOVAs revealed reductions in RTs and Error Rates in Phase 3 compared to Phase 1 on the Finger Tapping Task. There were no differences between RTs and Error Rates when using the Mirror Specs and Mirror Box. These findings suggest that healthy participants were able to use each Mirror Device effectively and this provide impetus for the proposal that Mirror Specs could provide a practical, cost effective addition to rehabilitation services. Finally, there were no clinically significant relationships between use of the Mirror Devices and imagery abilities, thereby indicating imagery abilities did not influence how participants adapted to using the Mirror Devices.

It is acknowledged that the genre of animated documentary is particularly suited to depicting the subjective point of view (Wells, 1997, Honess Roe, 2013). It has also been suggested that animated documentary may have a tendency toward collaborative working methods (Ward, 2005: 94). This PhD work explores and expands these suggestions and presents the development of a methodology adapted from what has been termed collaborative ethnography (Lassiter, 2005) when using animation to document perceptual brain states. The claim to originality in this thesis lies in the methodological approach taken through the documenting of idiopathic perceptual brain states, previously unrepresented in animation. It involves a shifting of the roles of subject and director to collaborative consultant and facilitator respectively, and differentiates between the recording of an animated document and the creation of an animated documentary . It rejects the sound reliant template of the 'animated interview' (Strøm, 2005: 15) as the dominant model of creating animated documents, which assumes both that the indexical is crucial to documenting, and that this can only be achieved in animation through the use of indexical sound. It agrees with Tom Gunning s argument that Charles Sanders Pierce's original idea of the index as part of an interconnected triad of signs (index, symbol and icon) has been abstracted from its richer signifying context and extracted a simplified version of what Pierce intended it to mean (a trace or impression left by an object) to become a 'diminished concept' (2007:30-1), essentially a short hand coda in this instance for document . The practice in this work challenges this by presenting an alternative; using a collaborative cycle methodology.

Through a series of paintings, drawings, videos, and large-scale sculptures/installation, I intend to create an environment that explores relationships between the safe and the unsafe place, the sweet and the grotesque, the dream and the reality, and the remembered and the forgotten. I am investigating landscape and how it relates to the body, human relationships, memory, and status of being.