Can we fully incorporate into our body schema the body parts of others, altering our sense of ownership [1]? And, to what extent, given the tight link between body and motor representations, does an altered sense of body-ownership affect motor awareness [2] and the sense of agency [3,4]? The new study we report here demonstrates that a body part of one individual can become so deeply embedded in another’s sensory-motor circuits as to have objective effects on the latter’s motor execution. Indeed, we found, in right-brain damaged hemiplegic patients who identified another person’s hand as belonging to themselves, significant interference effects of the alien hand movements on the actual movements of their own intact hand.

Embodiment of an alien hand interferes with intact-hand movements

GARBARINI, FRANCESCA;PIA, Lorenzo;PIEDIMONTE, ALESSANDRO;BERTI, Annamaria
2013-01-01

Abstract

Can we fully incorporate into our body schema the body parts of others, altering our sense of ownership [1]? And, to what extent, given the tight link between body and motor representations, does an altered sense of body-ownership affect motor awareness [2] and the sense of agency [3,4]? The new study we report here demonstrates that a body part of one individual can become so deeply embedded in another’s sensory-motor circuits as to have objective effects on the latter’s motor execution. Indeed, we found, in right-brain damaged hemiplegic patients who identified another person’s hand as belonging to themselves, significant interference effects of the alien hand movements on the actual movements of their own intact hand.
2013
23
2
57
58
Garbarini F; Pia L; Piedimonte A; Rabuffetti M; Gindri P; Berti A
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/129676
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