Highly Integrated Bionic Prostheses Resolve The Thermal Asymmetry Between Residual Amputated And Contralateral Limbs

Abstract

Residual limbs after amputation present colder temperatures than unaffected contralateral limbs. This temperature asymmetry has been attributed to autonomic and cognitive factors, such as changes in body representation. An ideal limb replacement should restore the body representation and resolve the temperature asymmetry, but conventional prostheses, commonly characterized as disembodied, fail to do so. Neuromusculoskeletal prostheses are a new concept of artificial limbs that directly interface with the user’s nerves, muscles, and skeleton, and are operated in daily life by bidirectionally transferring control and somatosensory information. Here, we show that the temperature asymmetry is resolved in neuromusculoskeletal but not conventional prostheses. Increased ownership and agency inducing embodiment of the neuromusculoskeletal prostheses and could be a potential explanation of the phenomenon, suggesting a cognitive neural basis of the temperature asymmetry commonly found with amputation.