Woman has developed an imaginary, but useful, third arm

After having a stroke, a 64-year-old woman reports that she now has a "pale, milky-white and translucent third arm" that she can use to scratch itchy parts of her body. She also says the limb can't penetrate solid objects.

It is "the first case known to doctors of a person being able to feel, see and deliberately move a limb that doesn't exist." The woman underwent an MRI and when doctors asker her to move her imaginary third limb, her brain responded as if she really had the arm. Her visual cortex activity also indicated that she saw the arm. (Via Arbroath)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Anonymous

I can think of one good use of an imaginary third arm. ;)
Crawford Tillinghast

I’m pretty sure the arm only exists in the fourth dimension.
Chrs

That’s basically the perfect solution to itching in a phantom limb: Another imaginary limb!
Anonymous

Knock at her door wearing a milky white suit.
zero cc

Long live the new flesh!
Anonymous

I think the fact that she can satisfy real itches with it is even more freaky than it being imaginary.
zoetrope

that lady is going to grow a third arm where her third eye should be
dr80085

So cool!

The original research paper is from a group of Swiss neurologists – about as trustworthy a source as you can get.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122269076/PDFSTART

@Takuan
From what I understand, she only had the extra arm while her real left arm was out-of-action from the stroke.
L33tminion

That’s bizarre. Is this the first non-amputation case of someone developing a phantom limb?
Tiki Wahine

Someone needs to hook her up with a prosthetic third limb connected to her neural circuitry. She might get some good use out of it!
Brainspore

You should see the size of my extra imaginary penis.
t3hmadhatter

#9 beat me to the punch.
Anonymous

For Ceronomus: YOu may enjoy reading “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat…and Other Clinical Tales by Oliver Sacks (I think). Dr. Sacks has a whole collection of interesting accounts of patients with some really abnormal psychology.
Phikus

It must be large if it’s extra-imaginary. ;D
Sparrow

#17 I’ve heard of people who are FtM developing phantom phalluses.
hydrophiliak

Reminds me of Miss Level.
domeier

When I turned 14 and realized I was far too ugly for any girl to ever want me, I grew an imaginary vagina on my right hand. Works almost as good as the real thing, and I never have to buy diamonds for it.
Takuan

@29; poop! have to pay to read. Oh well. Anyways, it would have been VERY interesting if she had simultaneous mental control over three limbs.
anthropomorphictoast

What would really be cool? If the extra limb could actually pick up objects.
Takuan

why not make these to give people with two arms a third?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hzRja9eunY
quintiliusvarus

Yes… the first diclonius in captivity… i advise the healthcare professionals to be cautious
Anonymous

Read The man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. The brain is a strange place.
angusm

Paging Gil “the Arm” Hamilton …

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Hamilton
Ceronomus

Fascinating! This is one of the coolest things I’ve read about in a while.
Lucifer

Donnie Darko syndrome. the end is nigh. repent.
El Fajio

Will not invite to poker night.
Anonymous

It’s aprils fool joke. Look at the date of the post! LOL
April 1st
Anonymous

I’ve heard of avid furries developing phantom tails before… first time I’ve heard of third arms though.
Daemon

#1 – damnit! you beat me to it.
Anonymous

What #23 said. Also, aloha #23.
jtegnell

I have a third leg.
skatanic

This is so amazing! Will the brain ever stop being so fucking fascinating?!
Gilbert Wham

Oh my god, HOW fantastic would an invisible arm for scratching your balls in public be?
Anonymous

pics or it didn’t happen
Phikus

I find my vestigial tentacles quite useful.
Takuan

can she use all three arms simultaneously?
neurolux

I’d like to see her pick up stuff and throw things with it. Then I’d be impressed.