Phantom limb pain (PLP) remains a puzzling condition, both for researchers and clinicians. Previous findings suggest a relationship between neuroplastic alterations of central body representations, cognitions related to the own body, and PLP, indicative of a common psychophysiological basis.1 In the present talk, I will give an overview of the current knowledge on this topic, with emphasis on my group’s very recent results on (disturbed) body perception after limb amputation. To that end, I will focus on prosthesis-related body cognitions2 and its relationship to PLP. 3 Based on these insights, I will develop theoretical considerations about how disturbed body perceptions may contribute to the maintenance of PLP. This psychophysiological framework can help identifying promising therapeutic targets for mechanistically-informed non-pharmacological treatments.

1 Rothgangel, A., & Bekrater-Bodmann, R. (2019). Mirror therapy versus augmented/virtual reality applications: towards a tailored mechanism-based treatment for phantom limb pain. Pain Management, 9(2), 151-159.
2 Bekrater-Bodmann, R., Reinhard, I., Diers, M., Fuchs, X., & Flor, H. (2021). Relationship of prosthesis ownership and phantom limb pain: results of a survey in 2383 limb amputees. Pain, 162(2), 630-640.
3 Bekrater-Bodmann, R. (2020). Perceptual correlates of successful body–prosthesis interaction in lower limb amputees: psychometric characterisation and development of the Prosthesis Embodiment Scale. Scientific Reports, 10(1), 14203.