Stable Cortical Body Maps Before and After Arm Amputation

Abstract

The adult brains capacity for cortical reorganization remains debated. Using longitudinal neuroimaging in three adults, followed up to five years before and after arm amputation, we compared cortical activity elicited by movement of the hand (pre-amputation) versus phantom hand (post-amputation) and lips (pre/post-amputation). We observed stable representations of both hand and lips. By directly quantifying activity changes across amputation, we overturn decades of animal and human research, demonstrating amputation does not trigger large- scale cortical reorganization.