Cross Wiring In The Brain

In the brain, there is a map of the body’s surface. For instance, the right side of the body is mapped on the left side of the brain and the left side of the body is mapped out on the right side of the brain. The part of the brain that corresponds to the part of the body that is missing takes over the face function since it is hungry for sensory input. When the cheek, on the side of the body with the missing part, is stroked then the misinterprets it as a sensation on the missing part which is why an amputee experiences phantom limbs. Cross-wiring in the brain is present as reorganization of the sensory pathways occurs as the result of the amputation. The result of the individual with an amputated hand was that he found the mirror box as a
relief to the pain he experienced with his phantom limb. Through the mirror box, the man saw an illusion that made it look like his hand was no longer missing. As the man moved his hand, he described his phantom hand as performing the same task as his attached hand. He also describes how the mirror box helped unclench pain he was experiencing in his phantom limb.