REORGANIZATION OF THE SOMATOSENSORY CORTEX AFTER AMPUTATION OF THE INDEX FINGER

CORTICAL reorganization occurs within the primary somatosensory and th e primary motor cortex after amputation of the arm or forearm. Here we report on a patient showing cortical reorganization after amputation of his right index finger. Our findings indicate that the neural netwo rks within the area of the amputated finger in the somatosensory corte x (SI) were invaded by neighbouring structures, i.e. of neural cell as semblies that subserve the thumb and middle finger of his right hand.