Using hypnotic suggestion to model loss of control and awareness of movements: an exploratory FMRI study.
Quinton Deeley, Eamonn Walsh, David A Oakley, Vaughan Bell, Cristina Koppel, Mitul A. Mehta, Peter W Halligan
PLoS One 2013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078324 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study with fMRI Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | Highly hypnotically suggestible subjects |
| Intervention | suggestion |
| Citations | 48 |
| Key findings | Loss of perceived control of movements was associated with reduced connectivity between SMA and motor regions, and reduced awareness of involuntary movements with less activation in parietal cortices and insula. |
Abstract
The feeling of voluntary control and awareness of movement is fundamental to our notions of selfhood and responsibility for actions, yet can be lost in neuropsychiatric syndromes (e.g. delusions of control, non-epileptic seizures) and culturally influenced dissociative states (e.g. attributions of spirit possession). The brain processes involved remain poorly understood. We used suggestion and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate loss of control and awareness of right hand movements in 15 highly hypnotically suggestible subjects. Loss of perceived control of movements was associated with reduced connectivity between supplementary motor area (SMA) and motor regions. Reduced awareness of involuntary movements was associated with less activation in parietal cortices (BA 7, BA 40) and insula. Collectively these results suggest that the sense of voluntary control of movement may critically depend on the functional coupling of SMA with motor systems, and provide a potential neural basis for the narrowing of awareness reported in pathological and culturally influenced dissociative phenomena.