CORTICAL STIMULATION FOR PROSTHETIC LIMBS 1

Cortical Stimulation and its Use for Prosthetic Limbs

Jade E. Raper

Guthrie Senior High School/Oklahoma State University

PSYC-1113

Professor Meredith Beyl, M.S.

February 11, 2024

Cortical Stimulation and its Use for Prosthetic Limbs

One overarching issue of having a prosthetic limb is the lack of sensation and “ownership” over

the specific part of the body. Bridging the gap between this issue, the application of
CORTICAL STIMULATION FOR PROSTHETIC LIMBS 2

somatosensory signals to the prosthetic device, has been a recent focus of modern

neuroscientists. A study done in 2016 has shown that the use of electrical stimulation to the

respective part of the brain controlling the limb has been proven to elicit a sense of body

ownership over the prosthetic for the patient (Collins et al., 2016). Kelly L. Collins et al. proved

this by testing patients using direct electrical stimulation to the cortical tissue in order for the

patient to gain a sense of belonging over the prosthetic. Studies were also done regarding the

significance of brain stimulation for treatment of patients dealing with chronic pain, showing the

importance of this practice in the medical field (Kong et al., 2023). The results of these

experiments are paving new pathways and opportunities for bioengineers, psychologists, and

neuroscientists not only in the realm of prosthetic devices, but also in treating chronic pain

disorders.

Creating a Feeling of “Belonging” to a Patient With a Prosthetic

To create a feeling that a prosthetic device “belongs” to a patient, the use of direct cortical

stimulation via electricity has been proven to provide positive results (Collins et al., 2016). This

type of procedure is similar to noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS), which is used when

treating chronic pain disorders in patients (Kong et al, 2023); both can be utilized to improve

one’s quality of life. By using electrical stimulation to the area of the brain controlling hand

sensors, the patient relies on the somatosensory signals from the cortex, rather than the

researcher psychically touching their real hand, for the sensation that the prosthetic hand is

actually their own. An arrangement of electrodes are placed on the patient’s cerebral cortex, with

certain pairs that create sensations to a certain part of the hand for the effect of sensory

stimulation. The prosthetic hand is then probed with a tool and at the same time electric currents

activate, setting off the sensation of touch to the person’s hand. This is repeated, both in the same
CORTICAL STIMULATION FOR PROSTHETIC LIMBS 3

and different areas of the hand, until the effect of the brain-to-hand simulation feels natural to the

patient. This method can be used to effectively create the sense of belonging to one’s body that

prosthetics previously lacked.

Extended Experience with Said Method and its Influence

Electrical stimulation to the somatosensory cortex is successful in providing a patient

with sensory “ownership” over the prosthetic. The feeling of said prosthetic belonging to the

patient’s body requires consistency, which can be done with repeated exposure to the system of

electrical stimulation. Over the course of weeks and months, experiencing electrical stimulation

to the cortex will enhance the naturality of the prosthetic hand, making it feel like the patient’s

own. This is supported by the study done regarding this system. In this experiment, Patient S2’s

results showed that the effect progressively increased: The first few ratings that Patient S2 made

of the illusion were -1 or below, conveying disagreement with the statement, “It feels as if the

rubber hand were my hand”, but after the initial ratings, all his responses were in the positive

range. (Collins et al., 2016, p. 12). These results illustrate the fact that with extended exposure to

the method of electrical cortical stimulation, the effect will increase and patients will experience

a stronger sense of physical attachment, or ownership, of the prosthetic hand.

CORTICAL STIMULATION FOR PROSTHETIC LIMBS 4

References

Collins, K. L., Guterstam, A., Cronin, G., Olsen, J. D., Ehrsson, H. H., & Ojemann, J. G. (2016,
December 19). Ownership of an artificial limb induced by electrical brain ... - PNAS.
Ownership of an Artificial Limb Induced by Electrical Brain Stimulation.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1616305114

Kong, Q., Li, T., Reddy, S., Hodges, S., & Kong, J. (2023, December 19). Brain stimulation
targets for chronic pain: Insights from meta-analysis, functional connectivity and
literature review. Neurotherapeutics.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878747923018949