Post-amputation pain is associated with the recall of an impaired body representation in dreams-results from a nation-wide survey on limb amputees.
PLoS One January 1, 2015 Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Michael Schredl, Martin Diers et al.
About 22% of 3,234 unilateral limb amputees could not remember their body representation in dreams, 24% always dreamed of themselves as intact, and less than 3% always as impaired; nearly 35% had mixed dreams. Lower-limb amputation and the presence of phantom limb pain and residual limb pain were associated with recalling an impaired body representation in dreams, while non-painful phantom phenomena had no influence. The findings suggest complex interactions between physical body appearance and mental body representation, likely modulated by waking distress.