Neural correlates of phantom motor execution: A functional neuroimaging systematic review and meta-analysis

Phantom motor execution (PME) shows promise as a new treatment for phantom limb pain (PLP) by inducing motor-related analgesia and retraining the pain network activation. However, the current understanding of the neural correlates underlying PME is limited. Databases were systematically searched for multimodal neuroimaging studies to explore the neural correlates of PME. A narrative synthesis (17 studies, n = 328) and coordinate-based meta-analysis were performed to identify activation commonalities. Contrasting PME-vs-REST revealed differential activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA), post-central gyrus, and dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus; while PME-vs-ME revealed differential activation of the right anterior insula, anterior cingulate, left amygdala, and right striatum. Further narrative synthesis revealed a positive correlation between PME-induced brain activity and PLP intensity, and a specific connectivity pattern during PME on the SMA–M1 network compared to ME and motor imagery. Our results suggest that the PME represents a distinct type of motor network activation, partially overlapping with ME and motor imagery activations but with special activation of interoceptive regulation and mood-related regions. Thus, confirming its potential as a therapeutic approach for PLP.