Can you still feel a limb that's gone? - Joshua W. Pate
827,923 Views
7,122 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
The vast majority of people who’ve lost a limb can still feel it — not as a memory or vague shape, but in complete lifelike detail. They can flex their phantom fingers and sometimes even feel the chafe of a watch band or the throb of an ingrown toenail. What causes these phantom limb sensations? Joshua W. Pate explains how the brain reacts to a missing limb.
Sensory signals travel from the limb up to the brain. What is the journey that these signals take to reach the brain?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Joshua W. Pate
- Director Tolga Yıldız
- Narrator Addison Anderson
- Art Director Tolga Yıldız
- Illustrator İbrahim Hakkı Uslu
- Producer Serin İnan
- 3D Animator Önay Günkut
- Storyboard Artist İbrahim Hakkı Uslu
- Composer Tolga Yıldız
- Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
- Fact-Checker Francisco Diez
