Scientists Use Pixels to Ease Amputees' Pain
From: University of Manchester - 11/14/2006

University of Manchester researchers are using 3D computer graphics to help
reduce the painful sensations that follow an amputation. Phantom limb pain
(PLP) is pain felt in a missing limb, which past research has shown can be
decreased if a patient's brain is made to believe it can see the limb. School
of Psychological Sciences professor and project leader Dr. Craig Murray said,
"One patient felt that the fingers of her amputated hand were continually
clenched into her palm, which was very painful for her. However, after just
one session using the virtual system she began to feel movement in her
fingers and the pain began to ease." The system consists of a headset and
sensors that allows the patient to view themselves in a life-sized virtual
environment with all of their limbs. The sensors are fitted around the
remaining limb, either arm or leg depending on what has been amputated, which
is used to control the limb that appears in the 3D computer-generated world
in place of the missing one. Four out of five patients that the system has
been tested on said that PLP improved, almost immediately for some. Another
professor from the School of Computer Science who contributed to the project,
Dr. Stephen Pettifer, explains, "It's very satisfying being able to apply the
same technology [people are familiar with from the entertainment industry] to
something that may have a real positive effect on someone's health and well
being."  

Read the entire story at:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/index.htm?id=83949

Links:
Phantom limb pain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_limb
http://www.aapb.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3471
http://www.svcmc.org/16620.cfm
http://www.wellcome.ac.uk/en/pain/microsite/medicine2.html

New virtual treatment for amputees
http://news.uk.msn.com/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=1261669

Craig Murray
http://www.psych-sci.manchester.ac.uk/staff/CraigMurray

Immersive Virtual Reality as a Rehabilitative Technology for Phantom Limb
   Experience
http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.167

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Phantom Pain Treatment
From: NASA Tech Briefs Insider - 11/21/2006

Researchers at the University of Manchester (Manchester, UK) have devised an
experimental method of virtual reality for the treatment of phantom limb pain
(PLP) experienced by some amputees. Using headsets, data gloves, and other
sensors, amputees used their remaining physical limbs to control the
movements of a computer-generated counterpart, which appears in the 3D
computer-generated world in the space of their amputated limb.  

The experiment is based on previous research that found that when a person's
brain is tricked into believing it can see, move, and "sense" a restored
limb, PLP pain can decrease. Four out of the five patients involved reported
improvement in their PLP, with some improvements being almost immediate. The
experiment was performed on arm, finger, and leg amputees. 

Read the entire article at:
Scientists use pixels to ease amputees' pain
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/news/display/index.htm?id=83949

Virtual Reality as a Rehabilitative Technology for Phantom Limb Experience
http://aig.cs.man.ac.uk/research/phantomlimb/phantomlimb.php

International Conference Series on Disability, Virtual Reality, and Associated
  Technologies
http://www.icdvrat.reading.ac.uk/