The Phantom Tollbooth

Most amputees report a sequela where they perceive painful sensations in the missing part of the amputated limbs1. This condition is known as phantom limb pain (PLP). While various hypotheses have been proposed to explain the etiology of PLP, it remains unclear1. In this essay, I will present the debate between two contrasting theories on the possible causes of PLP. One argues that PLP arises as a top-down phenomenon because of maladaptive cortical plasticity2, and conversely, the other…

Phantom Limb Pain (PLP) is described as a sense of pain in a non-existent extremity. This means that one who is missing their limb may feel pain which is perceived to be originating from where the original arm was. Not all cases of PLP are the same because everyone processes limb loss differently and no single injury are the same. Phantom limb pain can occur in various parts of the body and is not limited to a particular type of treatment. Similar to other illnesses, sensation vary from case to…

Paresthesia is not a disease, but a symptom of a condition that may be temporary or long-lasting. Paresthesia is a common symptom that refers to a prickling or burning sensation in some parts of the body, usually the arms, hands, legs, or feet. These can also occur in other body parts of the body. This unusual sensation, often happens without warning, and is typically painless. It may occur suddenly or gradually, but sometimes it may come and go. Other descriptions for paresthesia include…

In this paper, we will discuss phantom limb pain (PLP) and propose an alternate form of treatment for PLP using prosthetic limbs. We will discuss two key ways in which prosthetics can be improved—through the use of 3D printed materials and the integration of electrical input and feedback systems—and refitted as PLP treatment. We will also describe the practical advantages of using prosthetics as a form of medical treatment and provide criticism of currently used treatment methods, such as mirror…

amputation, and of those 2 million, up to 60-90% suffer from phantom limb sensations or phantom limb pain. Interestingly, these sensations do not seem to always fade with time as a patient adjusts to the loss of a limb, but as many as 70% report phantom sensations several years after the loss of the limb (Hanley et al., 2009; Foell, Berkrater-Bodmann, Diers, & Flor, 2014; Preissler et al.,2012; Ramachandran & Hirstein, 1998). The term ‘phantom limb’ was first used by Silas Weir in the early…

years, the monsters of myths have moved from the iconic literary works onto the big screen of the cinema, permitting audiences to now see the creatures that were once only a culmination of descriptive phrases. The steady visual alteration of the Phantom and other monsters in film, has now disturbed the long-held hypothesis that claims that a monster's body is basically an embodiment of disparity bringing about one outcome, fear. A scholar in monster theory, Jeffery Jerome Cohen composed a book…

Personality Theories and Danny Phantom: A Wild Ride From Start To Finish Butch Hartman, creator of Danny Phantom, Fairly-Odd Parents, Wander Over Yonder, and many other classic cartoons of the 2000s is known for his fantastic character development and the unique personalities he gives to his characters. The best example of his work is found in Danny Phantom, the story of teenage boy Danny Fenton, who becomes half-ghost through an accident in his parent’s laboratory. To quote the opening theme,…

research study was to find out the relevance of changes in phantom limb pain, and the effect of visceral stimulation has on the intensity of phantom limb pain. Researchers were trying to investigate and answer the commonness of the change of phantom limb sensation and pain with visceral stimulation in military personnel with amputation and pain intensity. One of the questions that they were trying to answer was why do some people have get phantom limb pain when their lower limbs get amputated? …

The Phantom of the Opera has been a smash hit in the world of musical theatre ever since opening on October 9th, 1986 in New York City. Since then, there have been a countless number of different productions and tours that have graced audiences across the world. Currently, there is a new production of The Phantom of the Opera on tour across North America, involving one of the largest casts of any touring company. This marvelously humongous musical has been brought to life by a number of persons…

References to Popular Works in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera The Phantom of the Opera is a novel written by Gaston Leroux and published as a serial in Le Gaulois, a Parisian newspaper, between September of 1909 and January of 1910 (Freeman, “Le Gaulois”). Originally published in French, the novel first reached English-speaking audiences when it was translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos in 1911. Due to time constraints, de Mattos’s translation has many errors, ranging…