Open AccessMassive cortical reorganization is reversible following bilateral transplants of the hands: evidence from the first successful bilateral pediatric hand transplant patient
Author(s) -
Gaetz William,
Kessler Sudha K.,
Roberts Tim P.L.,
Berman Jeffrey I.,
Levy Todd J.,
Hsia Michelle,
Humpl Deborah,
Schwartz Erin S.,
Amaral Sandra,
Chang Ben,
Levin Lawrence Scott
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
annals of clinical and translational neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.824
H-Index - 42
ISSN - 2328-9503
DOI - 10.1002/acn3.501
Subject(s) - magnetoencephalography , medicine , somatosensory system , sensory system , sensation , somatosensory evoked potential , sensory stimulation therapy , phantom limb , cortex (anatomy) , stimulation , amputation , neuroscience , anatomy , surgery , electroencephalography , anesthesia , psychology , psychiatry
In this repeated measures case study, we show that sensory deafferentation after limb amputation leads to changes in cortical somatotopic maps which are reversible after restoration of sensory input. Using magnetoencephalography ( MEG ), we observed in a child with bilateral hand transplants large‐scale shifts in somatosensory lip cortical representation from anatomic hand area to anatomic face region. After recovery of tactile sensation in the digits, responses to finger stimulation were localized to orthotopic sensory cortex, but with atypical electrophysiologic features (amplitude and frequencies).