1
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Budzisz A, Jung A, Adamczyk WM, Szikszay TM, Carvalho GF, Bąbel P, Luedtke K. Body Image Measured via the Fremantle Awareness Questionnaire in Individuals With and Without Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104530. [PMID: 38599266 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Research suggests that pain negatively affects body image, and body image may also influence reported pain levels. This review aims to summarize the literature on differences in body image distortion between individuals with pain compared to pain-free individuals. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement and an a priori preregistered protocol. The literature was searched using 5 electronic databases. Studies assessing body image with the Fremantle Awareness Questionnaire (FAQ) in individuals with and without pain were eligible for inclusion. Screening and selection of eligible studies were performed by independent reviewers. Methodological quality was assessed with the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool. Meta-analyses, meta-correlations, and metamean analyses were performed using random-effect models. The primary outcome was the FAQ score; secondary outcomes were reported pain variables. Data from individuals with pain (n = 2277) and without pain (n = 615) were summarized. Significant body image distortions were found in individuals with pain compared to individuals without pain. Compared to pain-free individuals, the pain group rated significantly higher in the FAQ when experiencing back pain (standardized mean differences=1.33, 95% confidence interval=.88-1.77) or other body parts (standardized mean differences=1.25, 95% confidence interval=.51-1.99). The results of meta-correlation analyses confirmed the positive relationship between body image distortion and pain intensity (r = .31), pain at rest (r = .31), or pain during movement (r = .36), but not for pain duration. A difference in mean FAQ results was observed between individuals with pain in different areas (knee and back). PERSPECTIVE: This review confirms differences in body image distortion between pain and pain-free individuals. Pain intensity was correlated with altered body perception, but not pain duration. A moderate correlation was observed between body image distortion and reported pain variables. Body image was more impaired by knee pain than back pain. REGISTERED PROTOCOL AT PROSPERO: CRD42022309937; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022309937.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Budzisz
- Laboratory of Pain Research, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland; Pain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Andres Jung
- Department of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Waclaw M Adamczyk
- Laboratory of Pain Research, Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland
| | - Tibor M Szikszay
- Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Pain and Exercise Research Luebeck (P.E.R.L), Universität zu Lübeck, Luebeck, Germany
| | - Gabriela F Carvalho
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health, Safety and Society, Furtwangen University, Furtwangen, Germany
| | - Przemysław Bąbel
- Pain Research Group, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Kerstin Luedtke
- Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy, Pain and Exercise Research Luebeck (P.E.R.L), Universität zu Lübeck, Luebeck, Germany
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Yim Y, Xia Z, Kubota Y, Tanaka F. The proteus effect on human pain perception through avatar muscularity and gender factors. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11332. [PMID: 38783020 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61409-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Proteus effect, which occurs when using an avatar in virtual reality, influences user behavior, changes attitudes, and improves physical performance. Here, we show that human pain perception can be alleviated by the Proteus effect. To investigate the pain alleviation effect of using an avatar in a virtual environment, we conducted two experiments using a head-mounted display and a thermal pain stimulator to induce acute pain. The first experiment involved 20 adult participants, while the second experiment involved 44 adult participants. Experimental results show that participants reported significantly lower pain scores (15.982% reduction), as measured by the Pain Assessment Scale (PAS), when using a muscular avatar than when using a normal avatar. The experiments also revealed several significant gender factors. For example, participants reported significantly lower pain scores when using a gender-congruent avatar. In addition, the use of a muscular avatar was particularly effective for male participants. In contrast, female participants consistently reported lower pain scores when using the avatar regardless of its body type (muscular/normal). To further our understanding, we also measured participants' gender-related pain stereotypes using the Gender Role Expectations of Pain (GREP) questionnaire, as well as participants' sense of embodiment. The results of these questionnaires are consistent with the results of the PAS, suggesting possible relationships between stereotypes and the Proteus effect on pain perception, and between the degree of immersion in an avatar and the user's perception of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youchan Yim
- University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8573, Japan
| | | | - Yuki Kubota
- University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, 305-8573, Japan
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3
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Diller SJ, Passmore J. Defining digital coaching: a qualitative inductive approach. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1148243. [PMID: 37868604 PMCID: PMC10588652 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1148243] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The term 'digital coaching' is widely used but ill-defined. The present study therefore investigates how digital coaching is defined and how it differentiates from face-to-face coaching and other digital-technology-enabled (DT-enabled) formats, such as digital training, digital mentoring, or digital consulting. A qualitative inductive approach was chosen for more in-depth and open-minded content. Based on previous studies on the importance of asking coaches working in the field, 260 coaches working in the field of digital coaching were surveyed. The given answers depict the importance of differing between forms of DT-enabled coaching. Thus, digital coaching is a DT-enabled, synchronous conversation between a human coach and a human coachee, which is different to artificial intelligence (AI) coaching and coaching that is supported by asynchronous digital and learning communication technologies. Due to this definition and differentiation, future studies can explore the digital coaching process and its effectiveness - particularly in comparison to other formats. Furthermore, this clear definition enables practitioners to maintain professional standards and manage client's expectations of digital coaching while helping clients understand what to expect from digital coaching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J. Diller
- Management Faculty, Private University Seeburg, Seekirchen am Wallersee, Austria
- LMU Center for Leadership and People Management, Social Psychology Division, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Bavaria, Germany
- Institute of Coaching, McLean and Affiliate of Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jonathan Passmore
- Henley Business School, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
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4
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Erdeniz B, Tekgün E, Lenggenhager B, Lopez C. Visual perspective, distance, and felt presence of others in dreams. Conscious Cogn 2023; 113:103547. [PMID: 37390767 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103547] [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: 04/02/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The peripersonal space, that is, the limited space surrounding the body, involves multisensory coding and representation of the self in space. Previous studies have shown that peripersonal space representation and the visual perspective on the environment can be dramatically altered when neurotypical individuals self-identify with a distant avatar (i.e., in virtual reality) or during clinical conditions (i.e., out-of-body experience, heautoscopy, depersonalization). Despite its role in many cognitive/social functions, the perception of peripersonal space in dreams, and its relationship with the perception of other characters (interpersonal distance in dreams), remain largely uncharted. The present study aimed to explore the visuospatial properties of this space, which is likely to underlie self-location as well as self/other distinction in dreams. 530 healthy volunteers answered a web-based questionnaire to measure their dominant visuo-spatial perspective in dreams, the frequency of recall for felt distances between their dream self and other dream characters, and the dreamers' viewing angle of other dream characters. Most participants reported dream experiences from a first-person perspective (1PP) (82%) compared to a third-person perspective (3PP) (18%). Independent of their dream perspective, participants reported that they generally perceived other dream characters in their close space, that is, at distance of either between 0 and 90 cm, or 90-180 cm, than in further spaces (180-270 cm). Regardless of the perspective (1PP or 3PP), both groups also reported more frequently seeing other dream characters from eye level (0° angle of viewing) than from above (30° and 60°) or below eye level (-30° and -60°). Moreover, the intensity of sensory experiences in dreams, as measured by the Bodily Self-Consciousness in Dreams Questionnaire, was higher in individuals who habitually see other dream characters closer to their personal dream self (i.e., within 0-90 cm and 90-180 cm). These preliminary findings offer a new, phenomenological account of space representation in dreams with regards to the felt presence of others. They might provide insights not only to our understanding of how dreams are formed, but also to the type of neurocomputations involved in self/other distinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Burak Erdeniz
- İzmir University of Economics, Department of Psychology, İzmir, Turkey
| | - Ege Tekgün
- İzmir University of Economics, Department of Psychology, İzmir, Turkey
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5
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Raoul L, Grosbras MH. Relating different Dimensions of Bodily Experiences: Review and proposition of an integrative model relying on phenomenology, predictive brain and neuroscience of the self. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105141. [PMID: 36965863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105141] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/27/2023]
Abstract
How we mentally experience our body has been studied in a variety research domains. Each of these domains focuses in its own ways on different aspects of the body, namely the neurophysiological, perceptual, affective or social components, and proposes different conceptual taxonomies. It is therefore difficult to find one's way through this vast literature and to grasp the relationships between the different dimensions of bodily experiences. In this narrative review, we summarize the existing research directions and present their limits. We propose an integrative framework, grounded in studies on phenomenal consciousness, self-consciousness and bodily self-consciousness, that can provide a common basis for evaluating findings on different dimensions of bodily experiences. We review the putative mechanisms, relying on predictive processes, and neural substrates that support this model. We discuss how this model enables a conceptual assessment of the interrelationships between multiple dimensions of bodily experiences and potentiate interdisciplinary approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Raoul
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France.
| | - Marie-Hélène Grosbras
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France.
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Nishiyama Y, Yamashita C, Nomura S. An illusion of disownership over one's own limb is associated with pain perception. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2801. [PMID: 36859438 PMCID: PMC9977932 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29993-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Viewing one's body and even a fake/virtual body experienced as one's own has been suggested to modulate pain perception. However, what happens to pain perception when one's own body part is felt as not belonging to one? We designed a paradigm to induce an illusory feeling of disownership regarding one's limb, investigating whether the feeling affects pain threshold. Participants observed right-side images of their bodies from a third-person perspective via a head-mounted display in real-time. Following instructions, they moved their left hand while keeping their left elbow behind the upper body, so that the connection of their arm to the torso was not visible (test condition), or in front of it, so they could see the arm being part of them (control condition). Then, pain threshold was tested with a thermal stimulator. We found a significantly higher strength of disownership in the test condition than in the control condition. While there was no pain modulation within and between conditions, disownership ratings negatively correlated with pain-threshold changes, where the participants reporting explicit disownership showed lower pain-threshold changes than the others. The finding suggests that while multisensory disintegration had no modulatory effect, the individual sense of disownership was associated with pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Nishiyama
- Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan.
| | - Chihiro Yamashita
- grid.260427.50000 0001 0671 2234Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan
| | - Shusaku Nomura
- grid.260427.50000 0001 0671 2234Department of Information and Management Systems Engineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Niigata, Japan
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7
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Segil JL, Roldan LM, Graczyk EL. Measuring embodiment: A review of methods for prosthetic devices. Front Neurorobot 2022; 16:902162. [PMID: 36590084 PMCID: PMC9797051 DOI: 10.3389/fnbot.2022.902162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of neural interfaces to provide improved control and somatosensory feedback from prosthetic limbs has initiated a new ability to probe the various dimensions of embodiment. Scientists in the field of neuroprosthetics require dependable measures of ownership, body representation, and agency to quantify the sense of embodiment felt by patients for their prosthetic limbs. These measures are critical to perform generalizable experiments and compare the utility of the new technologies being developed. Here, we review outcome measures used in the literature to evaluate the senses of ownership, body-representation, and agency. We categorize these existing measures based on the fundamental psychometric property measured and whether it is a behavioral or physiological measure. We present arguments for the efficacy and pitfalls of each measure to guide better experimental designs and future outcome measure development. The purpose of this review is to aid prosthesis researchers and technology developers in understanding the concept of embodiment and selecting metrics to assess embodiment in their research. Advances in the ability to measure the embodiment of prosthetic devices have far-reaching implications in the improvement of prosthetic limbs as well as promoting a broader understanding of ourselves as embodied agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob L. Segil
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Leah Marie Roldan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Emily L. Graczyk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
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8
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Pyasik M, Ciorli T, Pia L. Full body illusion and cognition: A systematic review of the literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104926. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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9
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Ho JT, Krummenacher P, Lenggenhager B. Not my body, not my pain? Pain perception and placebo analgesia in individuals with body integrity dysphoria. Cortex 2022; 153:44-54. [PMID: 35588553 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Acute and chronic states of physical pain are inherently linked to our bodily perception. Bodily illusion paradigms have demonstrated that an experimentally induced sense of body disownership can modulate both acute and chronic pain. Insight into the relationship between enduring clinical alterations in body perception and pain is much more limited. The current study examined both pain perception and placebo analgesia in Body Integrity Dysphoria (BID), a clinical model of long-term alterations of bodily disownership: in its most commonly studied variant, people feel like a part of their body does not belong to them, leading to a desire for amputation of a physically healthy limb. Heat stimulations were applied before and after a placebo intervention (sham analgesic cream) to the desired and the undesired leg of 19 patients with BID with a unilateral leg amputation desire. Pain perception was assessed using pain thresholds, and ratings for pain intensity and pain unpleasantness. Results show that pain perception and placebo efficacy were lower for the undesired than for the desired leg, demonstrating a potential link between a clinical disorder of body ownership, pain perception, and placebo analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine T Ho
- University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland; Brainability, LLC, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Peter Krummenacher
- Brainability, LLC, Zurich, Switzerland; Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Bigna Lenggenhager
- University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
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10
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Matsumuro M, Ma N, Miura Y, Shibata F, Kimura A. Top-down effect of body representation on pain perception. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268618. [PMID: 35617241 PMCID: PMC9135274 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies on body representation intend to change the perceived size, material, and structure of the body. However, whether the perception of a stimulus can be modified by manipulating body representation remains largely unexplored. Thus, the current study investigated the relationship between transparency of body representation and pain perception. Using augmented reality technology, we made the participants' limbs transparent and analyzed changes in body representation. Using a questionnaire, we confirmed that the participants perceived their limb as transparent. Simultaneously, their sense of ownership of the limb decreased, because they felt that it no longer belonged to their body. The participants were given an electrical stimulus to assess their subjective perception of pain intensity. An increase in limb opacity decreased the perception of pain, which, in turn, increased the feeling of transparency. These results suggested that the feeling of transparency in their limb favored the decrease in perceived pain. This effect was modified by body ownership, where high levels reinforced the analgesic effect. However, body ownership displayed a positive relationship with perceived pain. The study suggests that body transparency may constitute a strategy for decreasing refractory pain given that body ownership is retained at a high level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miki Matsumuro
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Ning Ma
- Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Yuki Miura
- Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Fumihisa Shibata
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Asako Kimura
- College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
- Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
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11
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Moon HJ, Gauthier B, Park HD, Faivre N, Blanke O. Sense of self impacts spatial navigation and hexadirectional coding in human entorhinal cortex. Commun Biol 2022; 5:406. [PMID: 35501331 PMCID: PMC9061856 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03361-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Grid cells in entorhinal cortex (EC) encode an individual's location in space and rely on environmental cues and self-motion cues derived from the individual's body. Body-derived signals are also primary signals for the sense of self and based on integrated sensorimotor signals (proprioceptive, tactile, visual, motor) that have been shown to enhance self-centered processing. However, it is currently unknown whether such sensorimotor signals that modulate self-centered processing impact grid cells and spatial navigation. Integrating the online manipulation of bodily signals, to modulate self-centered processing, with a spatial navigation task and an fMRI measure to detect grid cell-like representation (GCLR) in humans, we report improved performance in spatial navigation and decreased GCLR in EC. This decrease in entorhinal GCLR was associated with an increase in retrosplenial cortex activity, which was correlated with participants' navigation performance. These data link self-centered processes during spatial navigation to entorhinal and retrosplenial activity and highlight the role of different bodily factors at play when navigating in VR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuk-June Moon
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Center for Bionics, Biomedical Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baptiste Gauthier
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Hyeong-Dong Park
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Graduate Institute of Mind, Brain and Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Brain and Consciousness Research Centre, Shuang-Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Nathan Faivre
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland.,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,University Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Center of Neuroprosthetics, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland. .,Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland. .,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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12
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Riva G. Virtual Reality in Clinical Psychology. COMPREHENSIVE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC7500920 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818697-8.00006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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13
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Kutsuzawa K, Taguchi K, Shimizu E. Attention and Imagery in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain: An Exploratory Study. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv 2021; 60:45-54. [PMID: 34846226 DOI: 10.3928/02793695-20211118-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to have a small to medium effect on chronic pain, necessitating further research to identify which components of CBT work for which type of patient. Previously, we developed a high-intensity individual CBT protocol and conducted a single-arm, uncontrolled feasibility study for chronic pain. In the current study, we explored patients' experiences in CBT sessions, including tactile attention-shift training; memory work using the peak-end rule; mental practice of action using motor imagery rescripting; and video feedback, including mirror therapy. Fourteen patients with chronic pain completed 16 CBT sessions. The tactile attention-shift training was very helpful for two patients and somewhat helpful for five, memory work was helpful for nine, mental practice was very helpful for four and somewhat helpful for three, and visual feedback was very helpful for six patients. Effective methodologies for new chronic pain CBT components should be developed. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].
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14
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Swinkels LM, Veling H, van Schie HT. Playing videogames is associated with reduced awareness of bodily sensations. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.106953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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15
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Ho JT, Krummenacher P, Lesur MR, Saetta G, Lenggenhager B. Real Bodies Not Required? Placebo Analgesia and Pain Perception in Immersive Virtual and Augmented Reality. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 23:625-640. [PMID: 34780993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Pain represents an embodied experience, wherein inferences are not only drawn from external sensory inputs, but also from bodily states. Previous research has demonstrated that a placebo administered to an embodied rubber hand can effectively induce analgesia, providing first evidence that placebos can work even when applied to temporarily embodied, artificial body parts. Using a heat pain paradigm, the present study investigates placebo analgesia and pain perception during virtual embodiment. We examined whether a virtual placebo (a sham heat protective glove) can successfully induce analgesia, even when administered to a virtual body. The analgesic efficacy of the virtual placebo to the real hand (augmented reality setting) or virtual hand (virtual reality setting) was compared to a physical placebo administered to the own, physical body (physical reality setting). Furthermore, pain perception and subjective embodiment were compared between settings. In this mixed design experiment, healthy participants (n=48) were assigned to either an analgesia-expectation or control-expectation group, where subjective and objective pain was measured at pre- and post-intervention time points. Results demonstrated that pre-intervention pain intensity was lower in the virtual reality setting, and that participants in the analgesia-expectation condition, after the intervention, exhibited significantly higher pain thresholds, and lower pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings than control-expectation participants, independent of the setting. Our findings show that a virtual placebo can elicit placebo analgesia comparable to that of a physical placebo, and that administration of a placebo does not necessitate physical bodily interaction to produce analgesic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine T Ho
- University of Zurich, Department of Psychology, Binzmühlestrasse 14, Box 9, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Krummenacher
- University of Zurich, Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
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Vastano R, Costantini M, Widerstrom-Noga E. Maladaptive reorganization following SCI: The role of body representation and multisensory integration. Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:102179. [PMID: 34600947 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102179] [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: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
In this review we focus on maladaptive brain reorganization after spinal cord injury (SCI), including the development of neuropathic pain, and its relationship with impairments in body representation and multisensory integration. We will discuss the implications of altered sensorimotor interactions after SCI with and without neuropathic pain and possible deficits in multisensory integration and body representation. Within this framework we will examine published research findings focused on the use of bodily illusions to manipulate multisensory body representation to induce analgesic effects in heterogeneous chronic pain populations and in SCI-related neuropathic pain. We propose that the development and intensification of neuropathic pain after SCI is partly dependent on brain reorganization associated with dysfunctional multisensory integration processes and distorted body representation. We conclude this review by suggesting future research avenues that may lead to a better understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the sense of the body after SCI, with a focus on cortical changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Vastano
- University of Miami, Department of Neurological Surgery, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, USA.
| | - Marcello Costantini
- Department of Psychological, Health and Territorial Sciences, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies, ITAB, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Eva Widerstrom-Noga
- University of Miami, Department of Neurological Surgery, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Miami, FL, USA.
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Increasing self-other bodily overlap increases sensorimotor resonance to others' pain. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 20:19-33. [PMID: 31190136 PMCID: PMC7012796 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-019-00724-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Empathy for another person’s pain and feeling pain oneself seem to be accompanied by similar or shared neural responses. Such shared responses could be achieved by mapping the bodily states of others onto our own bodily representations. We investigated whether sensorimotor neural responses to the pain of others are increased when experimentally reducing perceived bodily distinction between the self and the other. Healthy adult participants watched video clips of the hands of ethnic ingroup or outgroup members being painfully penetrated by a needle syringe or touched by a cotton swab. Manipulating the video presentation to create a visuospatial overlap between the observer’s and the target’s hand increased the perceived bodily self-attribution of the target’s hand. For both ingroup and outgroup targets, this resulted in increased neural responses to the painful injections (compared with nonpainful contacts), as indexed by desynchronizations of central mu and beta scalp rhythms recorded using electroencephalography. Furthermore, these empathy-related neural activations were stronger in participants who reported stronger bodily self-attribution of the other person’s hand. Our findings provide further evidence that empathy for pain engages sensorimotor resonance mechanisms. They also indicate that reducing bodily self-other distinction may increase such resonance for ingroup as well as outgroup targets.
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Bekrater-Bodmann R, Reinhard I, Diers M, Fuchs X, Flor H. Relationship of prosthesis ownership and phantom limb pain: results of a survey in 2383 limb amputees. Pain 2021; 162:630-640. [PMID: 32868751 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Phantom limb pain (PLP) accounts for a significant reduction in quality of life and is difficult to treat. Prosthesis use has been shown to negatively covary with PLP. Recent research on body perception in amputees suggest that prosthesis ownership, defined as the extent to which a prosthesis is experienced as being part of the body rather than an artificial device foreign to the body, might interact with PLP. We used survey data from 2383 unilateral prosthesis-using upper-limb or lower-limb amputees and performed regression analyses to determine the relationship between prosthesis ownership and PLP. To test for specificity, we examined the role of prosthesis ownership also for residual limb pain (RLP) and nonpainful phantom limb sensations (npPLS). Prosthesis ownership was reduced in older participants and higher in lower-limb compared to upper-limb amputees. A longer residual limb and more frequent prosthesis use as well as a longer time since amputation also yielded higher values. Prostheses based on natural principles were associated with higher prosthesis ownership. Phantom limb pain and RLP were lower with higher prosthesis ownership, and RLP but not PLP was lower when prosthesis use was frequent. There were no significant associations for npPLS. The regression results differ in some aspects from those revealed by univariate analyses, emphasizing the importance of multivariate statistical approaches. Our findings provide insights into the interplay of body- and pain-related sensations after amputation, and could help to develop new treatment approaches for both PLP and RLP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Bekrater-Bodmann
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Iris Reinhard
- Division of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Diers
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Xaver Fuchs
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Biopsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI , Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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19
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Ianì F. Embodied cognition: So flexible as to be "disembodied"? Conscious Cogn 2021; 88:103075. [PMID: 33493962 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This review aims to explore what I call the "Embodiment Cost Hypothesis" (ECH), according to which, when humans "embody" a part of the world other than their bodies, a measurable cost is detectable on their real bodies. The review analyzes experimental evidence in favor of the ECH by examining studies from different research fields, including studies of action observation (2), tool-use (3), rubber hand illusion (4), and full-body illusions (5). In light of this literature, this review argues that embodiment effects can profitably be seen as phenomena associated with both benefits (resulting from the embodiment of external objects/bodies) and costs (resulting from the disembodiment at various levels of the subject's own body). Implications are discussed in relation to the ongoing debate on the embodied cognition (EC) approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ianì
- Università di Torino, Dipartimento di Psicologia, Via Verdi, 10, 10123 Turin, Italy.
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20
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Kondo R, Tani Y, Sugimoto M, Inami M, Kitazaki M. Scrambled body differentiates body part ownership from the full body illusion. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5274. [PMID: 32210268 PMCID: PMC7093408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62121-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Illusory body ownership can be induced in a body part or a full body by visual-motor synchronisation. A previous study indicated that an invisible full body illusion can be induced by the synchronous movement of only the hands and feet. The difference between body part ownership and the full body illusion has not been explained in detail because there is no method for separating these two illusions. To develop a method to do so, we scrambled or randomised the positions of the hands and feet and compared it with the normal layout stimulus by manipulating visual-motor synchronisation. In Experiment 1, participants observed the stimuli from a third-person perspective, and the questionnaire results showed that the scrambled body stimulus induced only body part ownership, while the normal layout stimulus induced both body part ownership and full body ownership when the stimuli were synchronous with participants' actions. In Experiment 2, we found similar results as with the first-person perspective stimuli in a questionnaire. We did not find significant skin conductance response difference between any conditions in either Experiment 2 or 3. These results suggest that a spatial relationship is necessary for the full body illusion, but not for body part ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryota Kondo
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi, 441-8580, Japan.
| | - Yamato Tani
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi, 441-8580, Japan
| | - Maki Sugimoto
- Department of Information and Computer Science, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Masahiko Inami
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Michiteru Kitazaki
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku, Toyohashi, Aichi, 441-8580, Japan
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21
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Swinkels LM, van Schie HT, Veling H, ter Horst AC, Dijksterhuis A. The self-generated full body illusion is accompanied by impaired detection of somatosensory stimuli. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2020; 203:102987. [PMID: 31923880 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2019.102987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research has found that body illusions may be accompanied by consequences for the real body whereby various somatosensory and homeostatic bodily functions may be impaired. These findings stem from research where an experimenter induced the body illusions. In line with advances in the domains of videogames and virtual reality where the real body is used as a controller we investigate if these consequences also accompany self-generated body illusions. In two preregistered experiments we made use of a head-mounted display set-up to induce the full body illusion (FBI) whereby touch is felt to originate from a 3PP body, and examined effects in the simple detection of supra-threshold vibrotactile stimuli presented to the participants' back and head. Results of both experiments indicate that it is possible to induce a FBI through self-stroking of the neck and that the FBI is accompanied by reduced accuracy and delayed reaction times in detection of somatosensory stimuli. In an additional preregistered control experiment the alternative explanation that a difference in motion presented in the conditions was responsible for these findings was ruled out. Our findings corroborate previous studies that have found body illusions to be accompanied by bodily consequences and further extend these findings to the domain of self-induced body illusions. These results are relevant for video games and VR setups that are geared towards virtual embodiment as they advance our understanding of the conditions and mechanisms in which bodily consequences may express themselves.
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22
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Ho JT, Preller KH, Lenggenhager B. Neuropharmacological modulation of the aberrant bodily self through psychedelics. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:526-541. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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23
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Riečanský I, Lamm C. The Role of Sensorimotor Processes in Pain Empathy. Brain Topogr 2019; 32:965-976. [PMID: 31705422 PMCID: PMC6882755 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-019-00738-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a salient, aversive sensation which motivates avoidance, but also has a strong social signaling function. Numerous studies have shown that regions of the nervous system active in association with first-hand pain are also active in response to the pain of others. When witnessing somatic pain, such as seeing bodies in painful situations, significant activations occur not only in areas related to the processing of negative emotions, but also in neuronal structures engaged in somatosensation and the control of skeletal muscles. These empathy-related sensorimotor activations are selectively reviewed in this article, with a focus on studies using electrophysiological methods and paradigms investigating responses to somatic pain. Convergent evidence from these studies shows that these activations (1) occur at multiple levels of the nervous system, from the spinal cord up to the cerebral cortex, (2) are best conceptualized as activations of a defensive system, in line with the role of pain to protect body from injury, and (3) contribute to establishing a matching of psychological states between the sufferer and the observer, which ultimately supports empathic understanding and motivate prosocial action. Future research should thus focus on how these sensorimotor responses are related to higher-order empathic responses, including affective sharing and emotion regulation, and how this motivates approach-related prosocial behaviors aimed at alleviating the pain and suffering of others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Riečanský
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Sienkiewiczova 1, 813 71, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
- Cognitive Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy.
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24
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Fang W, Zhang R, Zhao Y, Wang L, Zhou YD. Attenuation of Pain Perception Induced by the Rubber Hand Illusion. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:261. [PMID: 30967758 PMCID: PMC6439335 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive behavior usually requires accurate representations of body positions and ownership, which rely on integration of multiple sources of sensory information. The rubber hand illusion (RHI) presents a compelling example demonstrating that the combination of visual and tactile signals strongly influences the subjective experience of body ownership. However, it still remains unclear how the perception of body ownership in turn alters other aspects of sensory processing, such as pain perception. In the present study, we examined whether the RHI could modulate the subjective experience of pain. We set three conditions corresponding to different levels of ownership of the rubber hand: the synchronous condition in which the rubber and the real hand were simultaneously stroked; the asynchronous condition in which the two hands were asynchronously stroked; the own-hand-only condition in which only the real hand was stroked. Results from the screening experiment indicated that subjects experienced the stronger RHI in the synchronous condition, compared with the strength of RHI in the other two conditions. In the main experiment, subjects were requested to report the intensity and unpleasantness of pain evoked by laser stimuli under the three stroking conditions. Results showed that pain ratings were significantly lower under the synchronous condition than those under the other two conditions, suggesting the RHI could induce a significant analgesic effect. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that the degree of the analgesic effect was positively correlated with the RHI strength across individuals. Taken together, these results suggest an analgesic effect of the RHI and support the potential usage of visual illusions in future translational research on pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Fang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE and STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruyuan Zhang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota at Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Yijie Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE and STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE and STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Di Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOE and STCSM), Shanghai Changning-ECNU Mental Health Center, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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25
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Bréchet L, Mange R, Herbelin B, Theillaud Q, Gauthier B, Serino A, Blanke O. First-person view of one's body in immersive virtual reality: Influence on episodic memory. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0197763. [PMID: 30845269 PMCID: PMC6405051 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Episodic memories (EMs) are recollections of contextually rich and personally relevant past events. EM has been linked to the sense of self, allowing one to mentally travel back in subjective time and re-experience past events. However, the sense of self has recently been linked to online multisensory processing and bodily self-consciousness (BSC). It is currently unknown whether EM depends on BSC mechanisms. Here, we used a new immersive virtual reality (VR) system that maintained the perceptual richness of life episodes and fully controlled the experimental stimuli during encoding and retrieval, including the participant’s body. Our data reveal a classical EM finding, which shows that memory for complex real-life like scenes decays over time. However, here we also report a novel finding that delayed retrieval performance can be enhanced when participants view their body as part of the virtual scene during encoding. This body effect was not observed when no virtual body or a moving control object was shown, thereby linking the sense of self, and BSC in particular, to EMs. The present VR methodology and the present behavioral findings will enable to study key aspects of EM in healthy participants and may be especially beneficial for the restoration of self-relevant memories in future experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Bréchet
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robin Mange
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Herbelin
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Quentin Theillaud
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Baptiste Gauthier
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Serino
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Kannape OA, Smith EJ, Moseley P, Roy MP, Lenggenhager B. Experimentally induced limb-disownership in mixed reality. Neuropsychologia 2019; 124:161-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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27
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Nesti A, Rognini G, Herbelin B, Bülthoff HH, Chuang L, Blanke O. Modulation of vection latencies in the full-body illusion. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209189. [PMID: 30562381 PMCID: PMC6298644 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Current neuroscientific models of bodily self-consciousness (BSC) argue that inaccurate integration of sensory signals leads to altered states of BSC. Indeed, using virtual reality technology, observers viewing a fake or virtual body while being exposed to tactile stimulation of the real body, can experience illusory ownership over-and mislocalization towards-the virtual body (Full-Body Illusion, FBI). Among the sensory inputs contributing to BSC, the vestibular system is believed to play a central role due to its importance in estimating self-motion and orientation. This theory is supported by clinical evidence that vestibular loss patients are more prone to altered BSC states, and by recent experimental evidence that visuo-vestibular conflicts can disrupt BSC in healthy individuals. Nevertheless, the contribution of vestibular information and self-motion perception to BSC remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigate the relationship between alterations of BSC and self-motion sensitivity in healthy individuals. Fifteen participants were exposed to visuo-vibrotactile conflicts designed to induce an FBI, and subsequently to visual rotations that evoked illusory self-motion (vection). We found that synchronous visuo-vibrotactile stimulation successfully induced the FBI, and further observed a relationship between the strength of the FBI and the time necessary for complete vection to arise. Specifically, higher self-reported FBI scores across synchronous and asynchronous conditions were associated to shorter vection latencies. Our findings are in agreement with clinical observations that vestibular loss patients have higher FBI susceptibility and lower vection latencies, and argue for increased visual over vestibular dependency during altered states of BSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Nesti
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (AN); (OB)
| | - Giulio Rognini
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Herbelin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Heinrich H. Bülthoff
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lewis Chuang
- Department of Human Perception, Cognition and Action, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics and Brain Mind Institute, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
- * E-mail: (AN); (OB)
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28
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Matamala-Gomez M, Diaz Gonzalez AM, Slater M, Sanchez-Vives MV. Decreasing Pain Ratings in Chronic Arm Pain Through Changing a Virtual Body: Different Strategies for Different Pain Types. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2018; 20:685-697. [PMID: 30562584 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Modifying the visual aspect of a virtual arm that is felt as one's own using immersive virtual reality (VR) modifies pain threshold in healthy subjects, but does it modify pain ratings in chronic pain patients? Our aim was to investigate whether varying properties of a virtual arm co-located with the real arm modulated pain ratings in patients with chronic arm/hand pain because of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type I (without nerve injury) or peripheral nerve injury (PNI). CRPS (n = 9) and PNI (n = 10) patients were immersed in VR and the virtual arm was shown at 4 transparency levels (transparency test) and 3 sizes (size test). We evaluated pain ratings throughout the conditions and assessed the virtual experience, finding that patients with chronic pain can achieve levels of ownership and agency over a virtual arm similar to healthy participants. All 7 conditions globally decreased pain ratings by half. Increasing transparency decreased pain in CRPS but did the opposite in PNI, whereas increasing size slightly increased pain ratings only in CRPS. We conclude that embodiment in VR can decrease pain ratings in chronic arm pain, although the type of pain determines which strategy to decrease pain is most useful. We discuss this through the interactions between body image and pain perception. PERSPECTIVE: "Embodiment" in VR is useful to decrease pain ratings in chronic pain patients, but the best strategy needs to be tuned to the pain etiology. This approach could potentially help patients with chronic pain and clinicians who seek alternatives to pain management for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Matamala-Gomez
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Event-Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Mel Slater
- Event-Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria V Sanchez-Vives
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain; Event-Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Barcelona, Spain; Departamento de Psicología Básica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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29
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Chi B, Chau B, Yeo E, Ta P. Virtual reality for spinal cord injury-associated neuropathic pain: Systematic review. Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2018; 62:49-57. [PMID: 30312665 DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2018.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI)-associated neuropathic pain is challenging, with limited efficacy and no definitive options, and SCI patients often show resistance to pharmacologic treatment. Virtual reality (VR) therapy is a non-invasive, non-pharmacologic alternative with minimal adverse effects. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of VR therapy on SCI-associated neuropathic pain in a systematic review. METHODS Articles needed to 1) be written in English; 2) include adult subjects, with at least half the study population with a SCI diagnosis; 3) involve any form of VR therapy; and 4) assess neuropathic pain by quantitative outcome measures. Articles were searched in MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL®, EMBASE, and PsycINFO up to April 2018. Reference lists of retrieved articles were hand-searched. Methodologic quality was assessed by the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Score (PEDro) for randomized controlled trials and Modified Downs and Black Tool (D&B) for all other studies. Level of evidence was determined by using a modified Sackett scale. RESULTS Among 333 studies identified, 9 included in this review (n=150 participants) evaluated 4 methods of VR therapy (virtual walking, VR-augmented training, virtual illusion, and VR hypnosis) for treating neuropathic pain in SCI patients. Each VR method reduced neuropathic pain: 4 studies supported virtual walking, and the other 3 VR methods were each supported by a different study. Combined treatment with virtual walking and transcranial direct current stimulation was the most effective. The quality of studies was a major limitation. CONCLUSION VR therapy could reduce SCI-associated neuropathic pain, although the clinical significance of this analgesic effect is unclear. Clinical trials evaluating VR therapy as standalone and/or adjunct therapy for neuropathic pain in SCI patients are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Chi
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Loma Linda University Health, 11406 Loma Linda Drive, Suite 516, 92354 Loma Linda, CA, USA; Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, 500 Hofstra Boulevard, 11549 Hempstead, NY, USA.
| | - B Chau
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Loma Linda University Health, 11406 Loma Linda Drive, Suite 516, 92354 Loma Linda, CA, USA; VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, 11201 Benton Street, 92357 Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - E Yeo
- Loma Linda University School of Medicine, 11175 Campus Street, 92350 Loma Linda, CA, USA
| | - P Ta
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Loma Linda University Health, 11406 Loma Linda Drive, Suite 516, 92354 Loma Linda, CA, USA
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Solcà M, Ronchi R, Bello-Ruiz J, Schmidlin T, Herbelin B, Luthi F, Konzelmann M, Beaulieu JY, Delaquaize F, Schnider A, Guggisberg AG, Serino A, Blanke O. Heartbeat-enhanced immersive virtual reality to treat complex regional pain syndrome. Neurology 2018; 91:e479-e489. [DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000005905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectivesTo develop and test a new immersive digital technology for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) that combines principles from mirror therapy and immersive virtual reality and the latest research from multisensory body processing.MethodsIn this crossover double-blind study, 24 patients with CRPS and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were immersed in a virtual environment and shown a virtual depiction of their affected limb that was flashing in synchrony (or in asynchrony in the control condition) with their own online detected heartbeat (heartbeat-enhanced virtual reality [HEVR]). The primary outcome measures for pain reduction were subjective pain ratings, force strength, and heart rate variability (HRV).ResultsHEVR reduced pain ratings, improved motor limb function, and modulated a physiologic pain marker (HRV). These significant improvements were reliable and highly selective, absent in control HEVR conditions, not observed in healthy controls, and obtained without the application of tactile stimulation (or movement) of the painful limb, using a readily available biological signal (the heartbeat) that is most often not consciously perceived (thus preventing placebo effects).ConclusionsNext to these specific and well-controlled analgesic effects, immersive HEVR allows the application of prolonged and repeated doses of digital therapy, enables the automatized integration with existing pain treatments, and avoids application of painful bodily cues while minimizing the active involvement of the patient and therapist.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class III evidence that HEVR reduces pain and increases force strength in patients with CRPS.
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Heydrich L, Aspell JE, Marillier G, Lavanchy T, Herbelin B, Blanke O. Cardio-visual full body illusion alters bodily self-consciousness and tactile processing in somatosensory cortex. Sci Rep 2018; 8:9230. [PMID: 29915337 PMCID: PMC6006256 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-27698-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prominent theories highlight the importance of bodily perception for self-consciousness, but it is currently not known whether this is based on interoceptive or exteroceptive signals or on integrated signals from these anatomically distinct systems, nor where in the brain such integration might occur. To investigate this, we measured brain activity during the recently described 'cardio-visual full body illusion' which combines interoceptive and exteroceptive signals, by providing participants with visual exteroceptive information about their heartbeat in the form of a periodically illuminated silhouette outlining a video image of the participant's body and flashing in synchrony with their heartbeat. We found, as also reported previously, that synchronous cardio-visual signals increased self-identification with the virtual body. Here we further investigated whether experimental changes in self-consciousness during this illusion are accompanied by activity changes in somatosensory cortex by recording somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). We show that a late somatosensory evoked potential component (P45) reflects the illusory self-identification with a virtual body. These data demonstrate that interoceptive and exteroceptive signals can be combined to modulate activity in parietal somatosensory cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Heydrich
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Jane Elizabeth Aspell
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Guillaume Marillier
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tom Lavanchy
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Herbelin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Center for Neuroprosthetics, School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Pazzaglia M, Haggard P, Scivoletto G, Molinari M, Lenggenhager B. Pain and somatic sensation are transiently normalized by illusory body ownership in a patient with spinal cord injury. Restor Neurol Neurosci 2018; 34:603-13. [PMID: 27080071 DOI: 10.3233/rnn-150611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Spinal cord injury (SCI), a profound impairment of sensorimotor functions, is often associated with pain related phenomena, including mechanical allodynia, a condition in which non-painful tactile sensation is perceived as pain. Pain and somatic sensation are undeniable markers of normal bodily awareness. However, the mechanism by which they are integrated into a coherent sense of the bodily self remains largely unclear. In this study, we investigated the effect of high-level multisensory manipulation on subjective experiences of pain, touch, and body-ownership. METHODS We administered visuo-tactile stimulation based on the rubber hand illusion. In a longitudinal study, we compared the strength of the illusion in a male with SCI, who initially had lost somatosensation in all his fingers, but a few months later reported signs of tactile allodynia restricted to the left C6-dermatome. RESULTS After the restoration of some somatosensation, even if it were painful, synchronous but not asynchronous visuo-tactile stimulation induced body illusion. Previously painful stimuli were temporarily perceived as less painful, and the patient further regained tactile sensations in adjacent numb areas. CONCLUSIONS The sensations of touch and pain are mutually influenced and inextricably linked to a coherent representation of one's own body. Multisensory manipulations affecting the perception and representation of the body might thus offer a powerful opportunity to mitigate nociceptive and somatic abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella Pazzaglia
- Department of Psychology, University of Rome "La Sapienza, " Via dei Marsi, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrick Haggard
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Marco Molinari
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina, Rome, Italy
| | - Bigna Lenggenhager
- Neuropsychology Unit, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland
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Pozeg P, Palluel E, Ronchi R, Solcà M, Al-Khodairy AW, Jordan X, Kassouha A, Blanke O. Virtual reality improves embodiment and neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury. Neurology 2017; 89:1894-1903. [PMID: 28986411 PMCID: PMC5664293 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000004585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: To investigate changes in body ownership and chronic neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) using multisensory own body illusions and virtual reality (VR). Methods: Twenty patients with SCI with paraplegia and 20 healthy control participants (HC) participated in 2 factorial, randomized, repeated-measures design studies. In the virtual leg illusion (VLI), we applied asynchronous or synchronous visuotactile stimulation to the participant's back (either immediately above the lesion level or at the shoulder) and to the virtual legs as seen on a VR head-mounted display. We tested the effect of the VLI on the sense of leg ownership (questionnaires) and on perceived neuropathic pain (visual analogue scale pain ratings). We compared illusory leg ownership with illusory global body ownership (induced in the full body illusion [FBI]), by applying asynchronous or synchronous visuotactile stimulation to the participant's back and the back of a virtual body as seen on a head-mounted display. Results: Our data show that patients with SCI are less sensitive to multisensory stimulations inducing illusory leg ownership (as compared to HC) and that leg ownership decreased with time since SCI. In contrast, we found no differences between groups in global body ownership as tested in the FBI. VLI and FBI were both associated with mild analgesia that was only during the VLI specific for synchronous visuotactile stimulation and the lower back position. Conclusions: The present findings show that VR exposure using multisensory stimulation differently affected leg vs body ownership, and is associated with mild analgesia with potential for SCI neurorehabilitation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polona Pozeg
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Estelle Palluel
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Roberta Ronchi
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marco Solcà
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Abdul-Wahab Al-Khodairy
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Jordan
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ammar Kassouha
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- From the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Brain Mind Institute (P.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), and Center for Neuroprosthetics (P.P., E.P., R.R., M.S., O.B.), School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; University Grenoble Alpes & CNRS (E.P.), TIMC-IMAG, Grenoble, France; Spinal Cord Unit (A.-W.A.-K., X.J.), Clinique Romande de Réadaptation SUVACare, Sion; and Division of Neurorehabilitation, Department of Clinical Neuroscience (A.K.), and Department of Neurology (O.B.), University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland.
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Imaizumi S, Asai T, Koyama S. Agency over Phantom Limb Enhanced by Short-Term Mirror Therapy. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:483. [PMID: 29046630 PMCID: PMC5632822 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Most amputees experience phantom limb, whereby they feel that the amputated limb is still present. In some cases, these experiences include pain that can be alleviated by "mirror therapy." Mirror therapy consists of superimposing a mirrored image of the moving intact limb onto the phantom limb. This therapy provides a closed loop between the motor command to the amputated limb and its predicted visual feedback. This loop is also involved in the sense of agency, a feeling of controlling one's own body. However, it is unclear how mirror therapy is related to the sense of agency over a phantom limb. Using mirror therapy, we investigated phantom limb pain and the senses of agency and ownership (i.e., a feeling of having one's own body) of the phantom limb. Nine upper-limb amputees, five of whom reported recent phantom limb pain, underwent a single 15-min trial of mirror therapy. Before and after the trial, the participants completed a questionnaire regarding agency, ownership, and pain related to their phantom limb. They reported that the sense of agency over the phantom limb increased following the mirror therapy trial, while the ownership slightly increased but not as much as did the agency. The reported pain did not change; that is, it was comparably mild before and after the trial. These results suggest that short-term mirror therapy can, at least transiently, selectively enhance the sense of agency over a phantom limb, but may not alleviate phantom limb pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu Imaizumi
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Asai
- Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinichi Koyama
- School of Art and Design, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
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Allard E, Canzoneri E, Adler D, Morélot-Panzini C, Bello-Ruiz J, Herbelin B, Blanke O, Similowski T. Interferences between breathing, experimental dyspnoea and bodily self-consciousness. Sci Rep 2017; 7:9990. [PMID: 28855723 PMCID: PMC5577140 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11045-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dyspnoea, a subjective experience of breathing discomfort, is a most distressing symptom. It implicates complex cortical networks that partially overlap with those underlying bodily self-consciousness, the experience that the body is one's own within a given location (self-identification and self-location, respectively). Breathing as an interoceptive signal contributes to bodily self-consciousness: we predicted that inducing experimental dyspnoea would modify or disrupt this contribution. We also predicted that manipulating bodily self-consciousness with respiratory-visual stimulation would possibly attenuate dyspnoea. Twenty-five healthy volunteers were exposed to synchronous and asynchronous respiratory-visual illumination of an avatar during normal breathing and mechanically loaded breathing that elicited dyspnoea. During normal breathing, synchronous respiratory-visual stimulation induced illusory self-identification with the avatar and an illusory location of the subjects' breathing towards the avatar. This did not occur when respiratory-visual stimulation was performed during dyspnoea-inducing loaded breathing. In this condition, the affective impact of dyspnoea was attenuated by respiratory-visual stimulation, particularly when asynchronous. This study replicates and reinforces previous studies about the integration of interoceptive and exteroceptive signals in the construction of bodily self-consciousness. It confirms the existence of interferences between experimental dyspnoea and cognitive functions. It suggests that respiratory-visual stimulation should be tested as a non-pharmacological approach of dyspnoea treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne Allard
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie respiratoire expérimentale et clinique, Paris, France
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elisa Canzoneri
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dan Adler
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Capucine Morélot-Panzini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie respiratoire expérimentale et clinique, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Javier Bello-Ruiz
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Herbelin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Neuroprosthetics, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Neurology, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Similowski
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie respiratoire expérimentale et clinique, Paris, France.
- Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Siedlecka M, Spychała N, Łukowska M, Wiercioch K, Wierzchoń M. Rubber Hand Illusion Increases Pain Caused by Electric Stimuli. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2017; 19:35-45. [PMID: 28864079 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The rubber hand illusion (RHI) has been shown to alter the experience of pain, although studies have yielded inconsistent results. In this experiment we tested the influence of the RHI on the intensity of pain caused by electric stimuli. Electric stimuli were delivered to participants' experimental and control hands before RHI induction (control condition) and afterward (experimental condition), in a procedure that was double-blind with respect to location and strength of noxious stimulation. All hands were covered during the stimulation to avoid the analgesic effect of seeing one's own body part. The perceived location of the hand and of pain were measured after each trial in the experimental condition. The results showed that noxious stimuli were experienced as more painful on the hand under the illusion. In addition, in the experimental condition the perceived location of noxious stimulation applied to the experimental hand drifted toward the rubber hand. Our data suggest that the link between bodily illusions and pain could be modulated by uncertainty about location of pain and the affected body part. Future studies should aim to determine which aspects of altered body awareness lead to pain sensitization. PERSPECTIVE We show that the RHI can change the perceived location of pain and increase pain ratings caused by electric stimuli. Our data suggest that the link between bodily illusions and pain could be modulated by uncertainty about location of pain and the affected body part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Siedlecka
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Nadine Spychała
- Department of Psychology, Carl Von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Marta Łukowska
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Michał Wierzchoń
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
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Löffler A, Trojan J, Zieglgänsberger W, Diers M. Visually induced analgesia during massage treatment in chronic back pain patients. Eur J Pain 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Löffler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy; LWL-University; Ruhr-University Bochum; Bochum Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience; Central Institute of Mental Health/Medical Faculty Mannheim; Heidelberg University; Mannheim Germany
| | - J. Trojan
- Department of Psychology; University of Koblenz-Landau; Landau Germany
| | - W. Zieglgänsberger
- Department of Clinical Neuropharmacology; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry; Munich Germany
| | - M. Diers
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy; LWL-University; Ruhr-University Bochum; Bochum Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience; Central Institute of Mental Health/Medical Faculty Mannheim; Heidelberg University; Mannheim Germany
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Nierula B, Martini M, Matamala-Gomez M, Slater M, Sanchez-Vives MV. Seeing an Embodied Virtual Hand is Analgesic Contingent on Colocation. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2017; 18:645-655. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Dieguez S, Lopez C. The bodily self: Insights from clinical and experimental research. Ann Phys Rehabil Med 2017; 60:198-207. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rehab.2016.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/28/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Cowie D, McKenna A, Bremner AJ, Aspell JE. The development of bodily self-consciousness: changing responses to the Full Body Illusion in childhood. Dev Sci 2017; 21:e12557. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.12557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothy Cowie
- Department of Psychology; Durham University; Durham UK
| | - Aisling McKenna
- Sensorimotor Development Research Unit; Department of Psychology; Goldsmiths, University of London; UK
| | - Andrew J. Bremner
- Sensorimotor Development Research Unit; Department of Psychology; Goldsmiths, University of London; UK
| | - Jane E. Aspell
- Department of Psychology; Anglia Ruskin University; Cambridge UK
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Tieri G, Gioia A, Scandola M, Pavone EF, Aglioti SM. Visual appearance of a virtual upper limb modulates the temperature of the real hand: a thermal imaging study in Immersive Virtual Reality. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:1141-1151. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gaetano Tieri
- Fondazione Santa Lucia; IRCCS; Via Ardeatina 306 Rome Italy
- SCNLab; Department of Psychology; University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Via dei Marsi 00185 Rome Italy
| | | | - Michele Scandola
- NPsy-Lab.VR; Department of Human Sciences; University of Verona; Verona Italy
| | | | - Salvatore M. Aglioti
- Fondazione Santa Lucia; IRCCS; Via Ardeatina 306 Rome Italy
- SCNLab; Department of Psychology; University of Rome “La Sapienza”; Via dei Marsi 00185 Rome Italy
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de Jong JR, Keizer A, Engel MM, Dijkerman HC. Does affective touch influence the virtual reality full body illusion? Exp Brain Res 2017; 235:1781-1791. [PMID: 28289799 PMCID: PMC5435799 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-017-4912-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The sense of how we experience our physical body as our own represents a fundamental component of human self-awareness. Body ownership can be studied with bodily illusions which are generated by inducing a visuo-tactile conflict where individuals experience illusionary ownership over a fake body or body part, such as a rubber hand. Previous studies showed that different types of touch modulate the strength of experienced ownership over a rubber hand. Specifically, participants experienced more ownership after the rubber hand illusion was induced through affective touch vs non-affective touch. It is, however, unclear whether this effect would also occur for an entire fake body. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate whether affective touch modulates the strength of ownership in a virtual reality full body illusion. To elicit this illusion, we used slow (3 cm/s; affective touch) and fast (30 cm/s; non-affective touch) stroking velocities on the participants' abdomen. Both stroking velocities were performed either synchronous or asynchronous (control condition), while participants viewed a virtual body from a first-person-perspective. In our first study, we found that participants experienced more subjective ownership over a virtual body in the affective touch condition, compared to the non-affective touch condition. In our second study, we found higher levels of subjective ownership for synchronous stimulation, compared to asynchronous, for both touch conditions, but failed to replicate the findings from study 1 that show a difference between affective and non-affective touch. We, therefore, cannot conclude unequivocally that affective touch enhances the full-body illusion. Future research is required to study the effects of affective touch on body ownership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jutta R de Jong
- Experimental Psychology/Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Anouk Keizer
- Experimental Psychology/Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Manja M Engel
- Experimental Psychology/Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - H Chris Dijkerman
- Experimental Psychology/Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Clinical aspects of Out-of-Body Experiences: Trauma, reflexivity and symbolisation. EVOLUTION PSYCHIATRIQUE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evopsy.2016.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Rabeyron T, Caussié S. Clinique des sorties hors du corps : trauma, réflexivité et symbolisation. EVOLUTION PSYCHIATRIQUE 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evopsy.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Senkowski D, Heinz A. Chronic pain and distorted body image: Implications for multisensory feedback interventions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 69:252-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Conceptual processing is referenced to the experienced location of the self, not to the location of the physical body. Cognition 2016; 154:182-192. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2016.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Pamment J, Aspell J. Putting pain out of mind with an ‘out of body’ illusion. Eur J Pain 2016; 21:334-342. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Pamment
- Department of Psychology; Anglia Ruskin University; Cambridge UK
| | - J.E. Aspell
- Department of Psychology; Anglia Ruskin University; Cambridge UK
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Martini M. Real, rubber or virtual: The vision of "one's own" body as a means for pain modulation. A narrative review. Conscious Cogn 2016; 43:143-51. [PMID: 27295559 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
In the last few years a branch of pain research has been focussing on the modulatory effects of the vision of the body on pain perception. So, for instance, the vision of one's own real body has been proven to induce analgesic effects. On the other hand, bodily illusions such as the rubber hand illusion have provided new tools for the study of perceptual processes during altered body ownership states. Recently, new paradigms of body ownership made use of a technology that is going places both in clinical and in experimental settings, i.e. virtual reality. While the vision of one's own real body has been proven to yield compelling analgesic effects, slightly more controversial are those attributed to the vision of "owned" dummy bodies. This review will discuss the studies that examined the effects on pain perception of the vision of the own body, with or without body ownership illusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Martini
- School of Psychology, University of East London, Water Lane, London E15 4LZ, UK.
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49
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Romano D, Llobera J, Blanke O. Size and Viewpoint of an Embodied Virtual Body Affect the Processing of Painful Stimuli. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2016; 17:350-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Johnson MI, Smith E, Yellow S, Mulvey MR. A preliminary investigation into psychophysiological effects of threatening a perceptually embodied rubber hand in healthy human participants. Scand J Pain 2015; 11:1-8. [PMID: 28850446 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjpain.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Revised: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Threatening a perceptually embodied rubber hand with noxious stimuli has been shown to generate levels of anxiety similar to that experienced when a real hand is threatened. The aim of this study was to investigate skin conductance response, self-reported anxiety and the incidence, type and location of sensations when a perceptually embodied rubber hand was exposed to threatening and non-threatening stimuli. METHODS A repeated measures cross-over design was used whereby 20 participants (≥18 years, 14 females) received a threatening (syringe needle) and non-threatening (soft brush) stimulus to a perceptually embodied rubber hand. Perceptual embodiment was achieved using a soft brush to synchronously stroke the participant's real hand (out of view) and a rubber hand (in view). Then the investigator approached the rubber hand with a syringe needle (threat) or soft brush (non-threat). RESULTS Repeated measures ANOVA found that approaching the perceptually embodied rubber hand with either stimulus produced statistically significant reductions in the rated intensity of response to the following questions (p<0.01): 'How strongly does it feel like the rubber hand is yours?'; 'How strongly does it feel like the rubber hand is part of your body?'; and 'How strongly does it feel you can move the rubber hand?'. However, there were no statistically significant differences in scores between needle and brush stimuli. Repeated measures ANOVA on skin conductance response found statistically significant effects for experimental Events (baseline; stroking; perceptual embodiment; stimuli approaching rubber hand; stimuli touching rubber hand; p<0.001) but not for Condition (needle versus brush p=0.964) or experimental Event×Condition interaction (p=0.160). Ten of the 20 participants (50%) reported that they experienced a sensation arising from the rubber hand when the rubber hand was approached and touched by either the needle and/or brush but these sensations lacked precision in location, timing, and nature. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Our preliminary findings suggest that the increase in arousal in response to stimuli entering the peripersonal space may not be selective for threat. There was tentative evidence that more intense sensations were experienced when a perceptually embodied rubber hand was approached by a threatening stimulus. Our findings provide initial insights and should serve as a catalyst for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I Johnson
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, City Campus, Leeds LS1 3HE, United Kingdom; Leeds Pallium Research Group, United Kingdom(1).
| | - Emily Smith
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, City Campus, Leeds LS1 3HE, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Yellow
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, City Campus, Leeds LS1 3HE, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Mulvey
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, City Campus, Leeds LS1 3HE, United Kingdom; Leeds Pallium Research Group, United Kingdom(1); Leeds Institute of Health Sciences, University of Leeds, Charles Thackrah Building, Leeds LS2 9LJ, United Kingdom
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