Normal body scheme and absent phantom limb experience in amputees while dreaming.
Maria Alessandria, Roberto Vetrugno, Pietro Cortelli, Pasquale Montagna
Consciousness and Cognition December 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2011.06.013 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 6 |
| Population | Amputated patients with phantom limb |
| Topics | Dreaming |
| Key findings | In dream reports collected after REM awakenings from overnight video-polysomnography, three amputees described their amputated limbs as intact and fully functional, with no phantom limb sensations. The authors propose that phantom limb experiences, which during wake reflect a conflict between a pre-existing body scheme and sensory information about the missing limb, were suppressed during sleep in favor of an intact body image. |
Abstract
While dreaming amputees often experience a normal body image and the phantom limb may not be present. However, dreaming experiences in amputees have mainly been collected by questionnaires. We analysed the dream reports of amputated patients with phantom limb collected after awakening from REM sleep during overnight videopolysomnography (VPSG). Six amputated patients underwent overnight VPSG study. Patients were awakened during REM sleep and asked to report their dreams. Three patients were able to deliver an account of a dream. In all dreaming recalls, patients reported that the amputated limbs were intact and completely functional and they no longer experienced phantom limb sensations. Phantom limb experiences, that during wake result from a conflict between a pre-existing body scheme and the sensory information on the missing limb, were suppressed during sleep in our patients in favour of the image of an intact body accessed during dream.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucid Dreaming: a State of Consciousness with Features of Both Waking and Non-Lucid Dreaming Student volunteers trained to become lucid and signal lucidity with horizontal eye... | 2009 | Observational study | n = 6 |
| Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Self-Reported Psychological Disturbance Young adults with a mean age of 20 years | 2002 | Prospective observational study | n = 116 |
| Long-term effects of extreme situational stress on sleep and dreaming Survivors of traumatic events who complained of sleep disturbances, compared with... | 1987 | Case-control study | n = 11 |
| The relationship of nightmare frequency and nightmare distress to well‐being Adults who reported dreams | 2004 | Observational cohort | n = 147 |
| Dreaming in NREM Sleep: A High-Density EEG Study of Slow Waves and Spindles Healthy human subjects | 2018 | Observational cohort | n = 14 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Consciousness and Dreams March 15, 2018
- Body Schema Self-Awareness and Related Dream Content Modifications in Amputees Due to Cancer. Brain Sciences December 9, 2021
- A template model of embodiment while dreaming: Proposal of a mini-me. Consciousness and Cognition October 6, 2016
- 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 2015