Reorganization of human cortical motor output maps following traumatic forearm amputation

Pascual-Leone A, Peris M, Tormos JM, Pascual AP, Catala MD.

Inst. Ramon-y-Cajal, Consejo Superior, de Investigaciones Cientificas, Madrid, Spain.

We report the results of serial transcranial magnetic stimulation mapping of cortical motor outputs to the face and upper extremity in a subject studied before and repeatedly after traumatic amputation of the right arm immediately below the elbow. The results of the mapping studies illustrate the time course of plastic changes in the motor cortical representation in humans following a traumatic amputation and allow the correlation of subjective perceptions of phantom limbs with the reorganization of cortical outputs.

J Clin Neurophysiol 1998 Jul;15(4):333-43