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Magnani FG, Cacciatore M, Barbadoro F, Ippoliti C, Leonardi M. Sense of ownership influence on tactile perception: Is the predictive coding account valid for the somatic rubber hand Illusion? Conscious Cogn 2024; 123:103710. [PMID: 38870729 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
According to the predictive coding account, the attenuation of tactile perception on the hand exposed to the visuo-tactile Rubber Hand Illusion (vtRHI) relies on a weight increase of visual information deriving from the fake hand and a weight decrease of tactile information deriving from the individual's hand. To explore if this diametrical modulation persists in the absence of vision when adopting the somatic RHI (sRHI), we recorded tactile acuity measures before and after both RHI paradigms in 31 healthy individuals, hypothesizing a weight decrease for somatosensory information deriving from the hand undergoing the illusion and a weight increase for those deriving from the contralateral hand in the sRHI. Our results showed a significant overall decrease in tactile acuity on the hand undergoing the illusion whilst no changes emerged on the contralateral hand during sRHI. Since the sRHI was not accompanied by the hand spatial remapping, despite the generation of the feeling of ownership toward the fake hand, we hypothesized spatial remapping might play a pivotal role in determining sensory information weight attribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca G Magnani
- SC Neurologia, Salute Pubblica, Disabilità - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Cacciatore
- SC Neurologia, Salute Pubblica, Disabilità - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.
| | - Filippo Barbadoro
- SC Neurologia, Salute Pubblica, Disabilità - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Ippoliti
- SC Neurologia, Salute Pubblica, Disabilità - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Matilde Leonardi
- SC Neurologia, Salute Pubblica, Disabilità - Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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2
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Parma C, Doria F, Zulueta A, Boscarino M, Giani L, Lunetta C, Parati EA, Picozzi M, Sattin D. Does Body Memory Exist? A Review of Models, Approaches and Recent Findings Useful for Neurorehabilitation. Brain Sci 2024; 14:542. [PMID: 38928542 PMCID: PMC11201876 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past twenty years, scientific research on body representations has grown significantly, with Body Memory (BM) emerging as a prominent area of interest in neurorehabilitation. Compared to other body representations, BM stands out as one of the most obscure due to the multifaceted nature of the concept of "memory" itself, which includes various aspects (such as implicit vs. explicit, conscious vs. unconscious). The concept of body memory originates from the field of phenomenology and has been developed by research groups studying embodied cognition. In this narrative review, we aim to present compelling evidence from recent studies that explore various definitions and explanatory models of BM. Additionally, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the empirical settings used to examine BM. The results can be categorized into two main areas: (i) how the body influences our memories, and (ii) how memories, in their broadest sense, could generate and/or influence metarepresentations-the ability to reflect on or make inferences about one's own cognitive representations or those of others. We present studies that emphasize the significance of BM in experimental settings involving patients with neurological and psychiatric disorders, ultimately analyzing these findings from an ontogenic perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Parma
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Health Directorate, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (C.P.); (F.D.)
- PhD. Program, Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale e Medical Humanities, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Federica Doria
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Health Directorate, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (C.P.); (F.D.)
| | - Aida Zulueta
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Labion, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy;
| | - Marilisa Boscarino
- Neurorehabilitation Department, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Luca Giani
- Neurorehabilitation Department, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Christian Lunetta
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Unit, Neurorehabilitation Department, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy;
| | - Eugenio Agostino Parati
- Neurorehabilitation Department, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Mario Picozzi
- Center for Clinical Ethics, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy;
| | - Davide Sattin
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Health Directorate, Via Camaldoli 64, 20138 Milan, Italy; (C.P.); (F.D.)
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3
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Crivelli D, Crotti D, Crottini F, Peviani V, Gandola M, Bottini G, Salvato G. Skin temperature changes in response to body ownership modulation vary according to the side of stimulation. Physiol Behav 2023; 265:114142. [PMID: 36889486 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
A growing body of research has shown that a unilateral alteration in the sense of limb ownership is associated with the cooling of a limb's temperature. However, the recent emergence of contradictory results calls into question the existence of a relationship between this physiological reaction and the sense of body ownership. In the light of evidence that the malleability of the sense of hand ownership differs based on the preferential motor use of the hand to which the illusion is applied, one might observe the same lateralised pattern in the skin temperature cooling. In particular, if skin temperature change is a signature of body ownership, we expected a stronger illusion and reduction in skin temperature when altering ownership alteration of the left hand compared to the right hand in dextral individuals. To test this hypothesis, we selectively perturbated body ownership of the left or right hand in 24 healthy participants in different experimental sessions using the Mirror-Box Illusion (MBI) paradigm. Participants were asked to tap synchronously or asynchronously at a constant rhythm with their left and right index fingers against two parallel mirrors while looking at their reflected right/left hand. Skin temperature was measured before and after each MBI application, and explicit judgments of ownership and proprioceptive drift were collected. The results showed a consistent cooling of the hand's temperature only when the illusion was performed on the left hand. Proprioceptive drift exhibited the same pattern. In contrast, the explicit judgment of ownership of the reflected hand was similar across the two hands. These data provide evidence in favor of a specific laterality effect of the physiological response to an induced alteration of body part ownership. Moreover, they highlight the possibility of a direct link between proprioception and skin temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Crivelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Crotti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Francesco Crottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valeria Peviani
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Sensorimotor Lab, Donders Institute for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Martina Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy.
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4
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Salvato G, Zapparoli L, Gandola M, Sacilotto E, Ludwig N, Gargano M, Fazia T, Saetta G, Brugger P, Paulesu E, Bottini G. Attention to body parts prompts thermoregulatory reactions in Body Integrity Dysphoria. Cortex 2021; 147:1-8. [PMID: 34991060 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In healthy subjects, the transient perturbation of body part ownership is accompanied by regional skin temperature decrease. This observation leaves an open question about a possible body part-specific thermoregulatory response in pathological conditions, in which the sense of ownership over that body part is altered. For instance, Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID), a poorly understood neuropsychiatric disorder, is characterised by the non-acceptance of one or more of one's extremities. This unsettling feeling pervasively captures the individuals' attention towards the unwanted limb. Previous studies characterised BID in terms of absent ownership feeling with preserved ownership judgment. We explored for the first time whether this altered feeling is also associated with a specific thermoregulatory response. We recorded thermal image sequences of circumscribed regions of the limbs' skin in seven individuals with BID desiring to remove one leg while they were invited to focus their attention toward one particular limb (arm or leg). Their event-related thermoregulatory pattern was compared to a group of healthy matched controls. In individuals with BID but not in control persons, we found a bilateral decrease in leg temperature when focusing their attention on either the unwanted or accepted leg. The event-related thermoregulatory response for both upper limbs was similar between individuals with BID and healthy controls. Our results suggest that the alteration of the sense of body ownership in neuropsychiatric conditions such as BID may critically rest on specific event-related thermoregulatory patterns in response to modulation of attention to body parts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy.
| | - Laura Zapparoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; fMRI Unit, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Sacilotto
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Nicola Ludwig
- Department of Physics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Gargano
- Department of Physics, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Fazia
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gianluca Saetta
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Zurich Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Brugger
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Zurich Psychiatric University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuropsychology Unit, Valens Rehabilitation Centre, Valens, Switzerland
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Psychology Department and NeuroMI-Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy; fMRI Unit, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
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5
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Riva G, Serino S, Di Lernia D, Pagnini F. Regenerative Virtual Therapy: The Use of Multisensory Technologies and Mindful Attention for Updating the Altered Representations of the Bodily Self. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:749268. [PMID: 34803617 PMCID: PMC8595209 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.749268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The term “regenerative medicine” (RM) indicates an emerging trend in biomedical sciences that aims at replacing, engineering, or regenerating human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. So far, the focus of RM has been the physical body. Neuroscience, however, is now suggesting that mental disorders can be broadly characterized by a dysfunction in the way the brain computes and integrates the representations of the inner and outer body across time [bodily self-consciousness (BSC)]. In this perspective, we proposed a new kind of clinical intervention, i.e., “Regenerative Virtual Therapy” (RVT), which integrates knowledge from different disciplines, from neuroscience to computational psychiatry, to regenerate a distorted or faulty BSC. The main goal of RVT was to use technology-based somatic modification techniques to restructure the maladaptive bodily representations behind a pathological condition. Specifically, starting from a Bayesian model of our BSC (i.e., body matrix), we suggested the use of mindful attention, cognitive reappraisal, and brain stimulation techniques merged with high-rewarding and novel synthetic multisensory bodily experience (i.e., a virtual reality full-body illusion in sync with a low predictabIlity interoceptive modulation) to rewrite a faulty experience of the body and to regenerate the wellbeing of an individual. The use of RVT will also offer an unprecedented experimental overview of the dynamics of our bodily representations, allowing the reverse-engineering of their functioning for hacking them using advanced technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Serino
- Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Di Lernia
- Humane Technology Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Pagnini
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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6
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Cedras AM, Sharp A, Bacon BA, Champoux F, Maheu M. Asymmetrical influence of bi-thermal caloric vestibular stimulation on a temporal order judgment task. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:3133-3141. [PMID: 34417828 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06201-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidences suggest that binaural vestibular stimulation affects tactile temporal processing. However, it remains difficult to determine the physiological mechanisms supporting the vestibular-somatosensory interactions observed during a TOJ task. Controlling the activation of the right or left vestibular system separately could allow to better understand the physiological bases of these findings and reconcile previous studies. The objective of the present study was to examine tactile temporal processing using a temporal order judgment task following selective stimulation of the right and left vestibular system with bi-thermal caloric vestibular stimulation (CVS). A total of 24 right-handed participants received bi-thermal CVS either in the right ear (n = 12) or the left ear (n = 12). Participants held vibrators in both hands which delivered a signal temporally separated by a variable asynchrony. Participants had to report the hand where the vibration was perceived first. The task was performed in three different CVS conditions: (1) baseline, (2) warm CVS, and (3) cold CVS. Analysis of the logistics curve parameters-just noticeable difference (JND) and point of subjective simultaneity (PSS)-for each participant in each CVS conditions revealed an increase in JND greater following warm CVS. A significant increase in JND following warm CVS was measured bilaterally. However, cold CVS increased JND only when CVS was applied in the left ear, but not in the right ear. Finally, no influence of CVS on PSS was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assan Mary Cedras
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Montreal University, Succursale Centre-Ville, 7077 Avenue du Parc, Bureau 3001-42, C.P. 6128, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.,Institut Universitaire sur la Réadaptation en Déficience Physique de Montréal (IURDPM), Pavillon Laurier, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-L'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Andréanne Sharp
- Département de Réadaptation, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, Canada et Centre de Recherche CERVO, Québec, Canada
| | | | - François Champoux
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Montreal University, Succursale Centre-Ville, 7077 Avenue du Parc, Bureau 3001-42, C.P. 6128, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Maxime Maheu
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology, Montreal University, Succursale Centre-Ville, 7077 Avenue du Parc, Bureau 3001-42, C.P. 6128, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada. .,Institut Universitaire sur la Réadaptation en Déficience Physique de Montréal (IURDPM), Pavillon Laurier, CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-L'Île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
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7
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Crivelli D, Polimeni E, Crotti D, Bottini G, Salvato G. Bilateral skin temperature drop and warm sensibility decrease following modulation of body part ownership through mirror-box illusion. Cortex 2020; 135:49-60. [PMID: 33360760 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The implicit and explicit awareness of owning a body and its parts is a constant accompaniment in our everyday life and our interaction with the outside world. The way in which we build and maintain a coherent sense of body ownership is not fully understood. It has been postulated that the integration between exteroceptive, interoceptive, and proprioceptive signals may play a fundamental role in the sense of body ownership. For instance, studies on healthy subjects and brain-damaged patients have suggested that alterations in the sense of body ownership are coupled with autonomic signal changes, such as thermoregulatory reactions. However, the available evidence is conflicting, possibly due to shortcomings in the experimental paradigm that previous studies have adopted. In this study, we explore the relationship between body ownership, thermoregulation, and thermal sensitivity through a novel application of the mirror-box illusion paradigm, overcoming some of the limitations of previous studies. We find a bilateral decrease in hand skin temperature, together with reduced thermal sensitivity for warm thermal stimuli following the induction of the illusion of ownership towards the participant's reflected hand. These findings demonstrate the importance of the orchestration of exteroceptive (e.g., visual), autonomic (e.g., body temperature) and proprioceptive (e.g., position and movement of the body) signals in maintaining a coherent sense of body ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damiano Crivelli
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Polimeni
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Daniele Crotti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy
| | - Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy; NeuroMi, Milan Centre for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy.
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8
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Bottini G, Salvato G. In medio stat virtus: Integrating two functional models of vestibular cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol 2020; 37:427-429. [PMID: 32573342 DOI: 10.1080/02643294.2020.1784863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST "Grande Ospedale Metropolitano" Niguarda, Milano, Italy.,NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST "Grande Ospedale Metropolitano" Niguarda, Milano, Italy.,NeuroMi, Milan Center for Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
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9
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Salvato G, Richter F, Sedeño L, Bottini G, Paulesu E. Building the bodily self-awareness: Evidence for the convergence between interoceptive and exteroceptive information in a multilevel kernel density analysis study. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:401-418. [PMID: 31609042 PMCID: PMC7268061 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Exteroceptive and interoceptive signals shape and sustain the bodily self-awareness. The existence of a set of brain areas, supporting the integration of information coming from the inside and the outside of the body in building the sense of bodily self-awareness has been postulated, yet the evidence remains limited, a matter of discussion never assessed quantitatively. With the aim of unrevealing where in the brain interoceptive and exteroceptive signals may converge, we performed a meta-analysis on imaging studies of the sense of body ownership, modulated by external visuotactile stimulation, and studies on interoception, which involves the self-awareness for internal bodily sensations. Using a multilevel kernel density analysis, we found that processing of stimuli of the two domains converges primarily in the supramarginal gyrus bilaterally. Furthermore, we found a right-lateralized set of areas, including the precentral and postcentral, and superior temporal gyri. We discuss these results and propose this set of areas as ideal candidates to match multiple body-related signals contributing to the creation of a multidimensional representation of the bodily self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioural SciencesUniversity of PaviaPaviaItaly
- Centre of Cognitive NeuropsychologyASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, Niguarda HospitalMilanItaly
- NeuroMI, Milan Center for NeuroscienceMilanItaly
| | - Fabian Richter
- Department of PsychologyUniversität zu KölnCologneGermany
| | - Lucas Sedeño
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience (LPEN)Institute of Translational and Cognitive Neuroscience (INCyT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro UniversityBuenos AiresArgentina
- National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET)Buenos AiresArgentina
| | - Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioural SciencesUniversity of PaviaPaviaItaly
- Centre of Cognitive NeuropsychologyASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano, Niguarda HospitalMilanItaly
- NeuroMI, Milan Center for NeuroscienceMilanItaly
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Milano‐BicoccaMilanItaly
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico GaleazziMilanItaly
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10
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Bottini G, Magnani FG, Salvato G, Gandola M. Multiple Dissociations in Patients With Disorders of Body Awareness: Implications for the Study of Consciousness. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2068. [PMID: 30416476 PMCID: PMC6212579 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Bottini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- NeuroMI—Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Giulia Magnani
- NeuroMI—Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Gerardo Salvato
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- NeuroMI—Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Cognitive Neuropsychology Centre, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Gandola
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- NeuroMI—Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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11
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“The vestibular system, body temperature and sense of body ownership: a potential link? Insights from a single case study”. Physiol Behav 2018; 194:522-526. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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12
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Riva G, Wiederhold BK, Mantovani F. Neuroscience of Virtual Reality: From Virtual Exposure to Embodied Medicine. CYBERPSYCHOLOGY BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL NETWORKING 2018; 22:82-96. [PMID: 30183347 PMCID: PMC6354552 DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2017.29099.gri] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Is virtual reality (VR) already a reality in behavioral health? To answer this question, a meta-review was conducted to assess the meta-analyses and systematic and narrative reviews published in this field in the last twenty-two months. Twenty-five different articles demonstrated the clinical potential of this technology in both the diagnosis and the treatment of mental health disorders: VR compares favorably to existing treatments in anxiety disorders, eating and weight disorders, and pain management, with long-term effects that generalize to the real world. But why is VR so effective? Here, the following answer is suggested: VR shares with the brain the same basic mechanism: embodied simulations. According to neuroscience, to regulate and control the body in the world effectively, the brain creates an embodied simulation of the body in the world used to represent and predict actions, concepts, and emotions. VR works in a similar way: the VR experience tries to predict the sensory consequences of an individual's movements, providing to him/her the same scene he/she will see in the real world. To achieve this, the VR system, like the brain, maintains a model (simulation) of the body and the space around it. If the presence in the body is the outcome of different embodied simulations, concepts are embodied simulations, and VR is an embodied technology, this suggests a new clinical approach discussed in this article: the possibility of altering the experience of the body and facilitating cognitive modeling/change by designing targeted virtual environments able to simulate both the external and the internal world/body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Riva
- 1 Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,2 Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Brenda K Wiederhold
- 3 Virtual Reality Medical Center, La Jolla, California.,4 Virtual Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fabrizia Mantovani
- 5 Department of Human Sciences for Education, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Riva G. The neuroscience of body memory: From the self through the space to the others. Cortex 2017; 104:241-260. [PMID: 28826604 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2017.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Our experience of the body is not direct; rather, it is mediated by perceptual information, influenced by internal information, and recalibrated through stored implicit and explicit body representation (body memory). This paper presents an overview of the current investigations related to body memory by bringing together recent studies from neuropsychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary and cognitive psychology. To do so, in the paper, I explore the origin of representations of human body to elucidate their developmental process and, in particular, their relationship with more explicit concepts of self. First, it is suggested that our bodily experience is constructed from early development through the continuous integration of sensory and cultural data from six different representations of the body, i.e., the Sentient Body (Minimal Selfhood), the Spatial Body (Self Location), the Active Body (Agency), the Personal Body (Whole Body Ownership - Me); the Objectified Body (Objectified Self - Mine), and the Social Body (Body Satisfaction - Ideal Me). Then, it is suggested that these six representations can be combined in a coherent supramodal representation, i.e. the "body matrix", through a predictive, multisensory processing activated by central, top-down, attentional processes. From an evolutionary perspective, the main goal of the body matrix is to allow the self to protect and extend its boundaries at both the homeostatic and psychological levels. From one perspective, the self extends its boundaries (peripersonal space) through the enactment and recognition of motor schemas. From another perspective, the body matrix, by defining the boundaries of the body, also defines where the self is present, i.e., in the body that is processed by the body matrix as the most likely to be its one, and in the space surrounding it. In the paper I also introduce and discuss the concept of "embodied medicine": the use of advanced technology for altering the body matrix with the goal of improving our health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Riva
- Centro Studi e Ricerche di Psicologia Della Comunicazione, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy; Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
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