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1、PHANTOMSINTHEBRAINProbingtheMysteriesoftheHumanMindV.S.Ramachandran,M.D.,Ph.D.,andSandraBlakesleeCopyright©1998ISBN0688152473Tomymother,MeenakshiTomyfather,SubramanianTomybrother,RaviToDiane,ManiandJayakrishnaToallmyformerteachersinIndiaandEngland1ToSaraswathy,thego
2、ddessoflearning,musicandwisdomForewordThegreatneurologistsandpsychiatristsofthenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturiesweremastersofdescription,andsomeoftheircasehistoriesprovidedanalmostnovelisticrichnessofdetail.SilasWeirMitchell—whowasanovelistaswellasaneurologist—pr
3、ovidedunforgettabledescriptionsofthephantomlimbs(or"sensoryghosts,"ashefirstcalledthem)insoldierswhohadbeeninjuredonthebattlefieldsoftheCivilWar.JosephBabinski,thegreatFrenchneurologist,describedanevenmoreextraordinarysyndrome—anosognosia,theinabilitytoperceivethato
4、nesideofone'sownbodyisparalyzedandtheoften−bizarreattributionoftheparalyzedsidetoanotherperson.(Suchapatientmightsayofhisorherownleftside,"It'smybrother's"or"It'syours.")Dr.V.S.Ramachandran,oneofthemostinterestingneuroscientistsofourtime,hasdoneseminalworkonthenatur
5、eandtreatmentofphantomlimbs—thoseobdurateandsometimestormentingghostsofarmsandlegslostyearsordecadesbeforebutnotforgottenbythebrain.Aphantommayatfirstfeellikeanormallimb,apartofthenormalbodyimage;but,cutofffromnormalsensationoraction,itmayassumeapathologicalcharacte
6、r,becomingintrusive,"paralyzed,"deformed,orexcruciatinglypainful—phantomfingersmaydigintoaphantompalmwithanunspeakable,unstoppableintensity.Thefactthatthepainandthephantomare"unreal"isofnohelp,andmayindeedmakethemmoredifficulttotreat,foronemaybeunabletounclenchthese
7、eminglyparalyzedphantom.Inanattempttoalleviatesuchphantoms,physiciansandtheirpatientshavebeendriventoextremeanddesperatemeasures:makingtheamputationstumpshorterandshorter,cuttingpainorsensorytractsinthespinalcord,destroyingpaincentersinthebrainitself.Butalltoofreque
8、ntly,noneofthesework;thephantom,andthephantompain,almostinvariablyreturn.Totheseseeminglyintractableproblems,Ramachandranbringsafreshanddi
