7LA Final Review: Informational Text

The young man in the doctor’s office was amazed: he could move his phantom limb. Ten years before, Philip’s arm had been amputated after a motorcycle accident. Since then, he had felt recurring “phantom-limb pain,” as if his missing arm were in a cramped, uncomfortable position. The doctor, Vilayanur Ramachandran, had placed a mirror perpendicular to his chest. This allowed Philip to see the reflection of his real arm exactly where his lost one used to be. Then the doctor had told him to move both of his arms simultaneously—the real one and the phantom. “My phantom is moving again; I don’t believe this!” Philip exclaimed.

Dr. Ramachandran has been called the Marco Polo of neuroscience for his bold explorations into the various mysteries of the human brain. Building on the experiments of other researchers, he has devised new experiments to explore questions that have long puzzled neuroscientists. He is credited with the invention of “mirror therapy” to help sufferers of phantom-limb syndrome relieve their pain.

Before meeting Philip, the doctor had read about studies showing that separate parts of the brain control different parts of the body and that the brain could reorganize this body map after an injury. Researchers did experiments with monkeys whose arms could not move because of injury. They observed that the part of the monkeys’ brains that had controlled their arms had been taken over and re-mapped by the part that controlled their faces. Looking at these results, Dr. Ramachandran guessed that if you touched the faces of these monkeys, they should feel that touch in their hands. To find out, he performed an experiment with Tom, a young man who had lost the lower part of his left arm in a car accident. He touched Tom on the cheek with a cotton swab and asked him where he felt the touch. Tom answered that he felt it on his cheek, but also on his phantom thumb. The doctor realized that every time Tom moved his face, he felt the same sensations in his phantom limb.

Philip was the first patient to try Dr. Ramachandran’s mirror therapy. The doctor knew that phantom-limb pain was particularly common with people like Philip whose limbs could not move for a time before amputation. The doctor believed that those patients’ brains had continually tried to move their limbs but received visual feedback that they could not. Even after the limbs were removed, their brains thought that their missing limbs were paralyzed. The doctor’s idea was that if, with the use of a mirror, Philip could send his brain feedback that his missing arm could indeed move—that it was not paralyzed—then maybe he would no longer feel his phantom pain.

When Philip watched the reflection of his real arm moving in the precise spot his missing arm used to be, he gave his brain what Dr. Ramachandran calls “artificial visual feedback”—the visual impression that his phantom limb was moving again. That alone was enough, as the doctor had suspected, to relieve his pain. He encouraged Philip to take the mirror home and continue to practice with it. After a month, Philip called the doctor to report that he no longer felt his phantom arm or his pain. Dr. Ramachandran believes this proves that, in some cases, paralysis of a limb is something that the brain learns from visual cues, and that if the brain receives different cues, it can unlearn that paralysis. The doctor has remarked that Philip's case was the first instance of "a successful amputation of a phantom limb."

How did the experiment with Tom contribute to Dr. Ramachandran’s mirror therapy?

• It showed that artificial visual feedback can relieve phantom-limb pain.

• It showed that remapping the brain after injury can enable phantom-limb pain.

• It showed that nerves in the face are responsible for severe phantom-limb pain.

• It showed that the amputation of an arm is especially likely to result in phantom-limb pain.

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The young man in the doctor’s office was amazed: he could move his phantom limb. Ten years before, Philip’s arm had been amputated after a motorcycle accident. Since then, he had felt recurring “phantom-limb pain,” as if his missing arm were in a cramped, uncomfortable position. The doctor, Vilayanur Ramachandran, had placed a mirror perpendicular to his chest. This allowed Philip to see the reflection of his real arm exactly where his lost one used to be. Then the doctor had told him to move both of his arms simultaneously—the real one and the phantom. “My phantom is moving again; I don’t believe this!” Philip exclaimed.

Dr. Ramachandran has been called the Marco Polo of neuroscience for his bold explorations into the various mysteries of the human brain. Building on the experiments of other researchers, he has devised new experiments to explore questions that have long puzzled neuroscientists. He is credited with the invention of “mirror therapy” to help sufferers of phantom-limb syndrome relieve their pain.

Before meeting Philip, the doctor had read about studies showing that separate parts of the brain control different parts of the body and that the brain could reorganize this body map after an injury. Researchers did experiments with monkeys whose arms could not move because of injury. They observed that the part of the monkeys’ brains that had controlled their arms had been taken over and re-mapped by the part that controlled their faces. Looking at these results, Dr. Ramachandran guessed that if you touched the faces of these monkeys, they should feel that touch in their hands. To find out, he performed an experiment with Tom, a young man who had lost the lower part of his left arm in a car accident. He touched Tom on the cheek with a cotton swab and asked him where he felt the touch. Tom answered that he felt it on his cheek, but also on his phantom thumb. The doctor realized that every time Tom moved his face, he felt the same sensations in his phantom limb.

Philip was the first patient to try Dr. Ramachandran’s mirror therapy. The doctor knew that phantom-limb pain was particularly common with people like Philip whose limbs could not move for a time before amputation. The doctor believed that those patients’ brains had continually tried to move their limbs but received visual feedback that they could not. Even after the limbs were removed, their brains thought that their missing limbs were paralyzed. The doctor’s idea was that if, with the use of a mirror, Philip could send his brain feedback that his missing arm could indeed move—that it was not paralyzed—then maybe he would no longer feel his phantom pain.

When Philip watched the reflection of his real arm moving in the precise spot his missing arm used to be, he gave his brain what Dr. Ramachandran calls “artificial visual feedback”—the visual impression that his phantom limb was moving again. That alone was enough, as the doctor had suspected, to relieve his pain. He encouraged Philip to take the mirror home and continue to practice with it. After a month, Philip called the doctor to report that he no longer felt his phantom arm or his pain. Dr. Ramachandran believes this proves that, in some cases, paralysis of a limb is something that the brain learns from visual cues, and that if the brain receives different cues, it can unlearn that paralysis. The doctor has remarked that Philip's case was the first instance of "a successful amputation of a phantom limb."

Which paragraph shows how Dr. Ramachandran learned from the work of other researchers to develop his mirror therapy?

• Paragraph 1

• Paragraph 2

• Paragraph 3

• Paragraph 4

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When Philip watched the reflection of his real arm moving in the precise spot his missing arm used to be, he gave his brain what Dr. Ramachandran calls “artificial visual feedback”—the visual impression that his phantom limb was moving again. That alone was enough, as the doctor had suspected, to relieve his pain. He encouraged Philip to take the mirror home and continue to practice with it. After a month, Philip called the doctor to report that he no longer felt his phantom arm or his pain. Dr. Ramachandran believes this proves that, in some cases, paralysis of a limb is something that the brain learns from visual cues, and that if the brain receives different cues, it can unlearn that paralysis. The doctor has remarked that Philip's case was the first instance of "a successful amputation of a phantom limb."

Which conclusion about mirror therapy is supported by evidence in paragraph 5?

• . It can reduce the need to amputate limbs.

• It can replace a phantom limb.

• It can cure paralysis in limbs.

• It can eliminate phantom-limb pain.

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How did the mirror image of his phantom limb help Philip?

• It convinced his brain that his phantom limb was not paralyzed.

• It made him understand that his phantom arm was not real.

• It showed him that his arm could be replaced with an artificial arm..

• It helped him adjust to the fact that his arm had been amputated.

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Which detail is MOST important to include in a summary of the text?

• Philip’s arm was injured in a motorcycle accident.

• The motorcycle accident occurred 10 years before Philip tried mirror therapy.

• Philip’s arm had been paralyzed for some time before it was amputated.

• It took a month for the mirror therapy to free Philip of phantom-limb pain.

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