About this Research Topic
Phantom pain is clinically defined as the perception of pain or discomfort in a body part that no longer exists. It most commonly presents as a sequela of amputation which can occur for many reasons including severe trauma, tumors, vascular disease, and infection. In 2005, there were 1.6 million people living with limb loss in the U.S with an estimate of 3.6 million cases by 2050. The literature reports PLP affecting 60% to 85% of amputee patients. The etiology and pathophysiology remain unclear; from what we learned from recent researches; the underlying mechanism is likely multifactorial, which makes sense that the presentation of this condition is a multifaceted experience involving sensory, emotional, and cognitive domains. Accordingly, unlike residual limb pain, treatment for phantom pain cannot be treated by focusing on a peripheral cause for the pain. Overall, treatment for phantom pain has not proven to be effective since phantom pain treatment mostly focuses on symptomatic control. Recent studies on its epidemiology, pathophysiology, holistic treatment approaches, including virtual reality, and neuromodulation shed some light on management of this condition.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together a collection of papers that reflect current research outcome and understanding of this disease. This will include epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We will attempt at arriving at a consensus on a few facets of this condition, list current major barriers or pitfalls in PLP research, entice researchers to go beyond current concepts and provide new insights into its pathophysiology, hence formula more effective evidence-based or pathophysiology-based treatment.
We welcome the submission of manuscripts including, but not limited to, the following topics: Special focus will be given (but is not restricted) to:
• Epidemiology of phantom pain: especially risk factors, hopefully come up with a recommendation / preliminary guideline for prevention
• Pathophysiology, including animal and clinical researches, to provide better understanding of the disease, lead to innovative treatments
• Research methodology: unique PLP model, PLP quantification
• Current treatments: including CRT cortical remapping therapy (CRT), extended reality, and other artificial intelligence assisted therapies; also review current mechanistic studies on innovative treatments.
The goal of this Research Topic is to bring together a collection of papers that reflect current research outcome and understanding of this disease. This will include epidemiology, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. We will attempt at arriving at a consensus on a few facets of this condition, list current major barriers or pitfalls in PLP research, entice researchers to go beyond current concepts and provide new insights into its pathophysiology, hence formula more effective evidence-based or pathophysiology-based treatment.
We welcome the submission of manuscripts including, but not limited to, the following topics: Special focus will be given (but is not restricted) to:
• Epidemiology of phantom pain: especially risk factors, hopefully come up with a recommendation / preliminary guideline for prevention
• Pathophysiology, including animal and clinical researches, to provide better understanding of the disease, lead to innovative treatments
• Research methodology: unique PLP model, PLP quantification
• Current treatments: including CRT cortical remapping therapy (CRT), extended reality, and other artificial intelligence assisted therapies; also review current mechanistic studies on innovative treatments.
Keywords: phantom pain, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, virtual and augmented reality
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
