Evaluating Bodily Self-Consciousness and the Brain Using Multisensory Perturbation and fMRI
Philippe A. Chouinard, Joshua A. Sherman, Amy Siobhan Millard, Irene Sperandio
Multisensory Research 2017 DOI: 10.1163/22134808-00002563 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that fMRI combined with perturbation techniques can permit some degree of causal inferencing about bodily self-consciousness and the brain, particularly in bodily illusion studies. |
Abstract
In this article, we consider the usefulness of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and perturbation in evaluating causal relationships between bodily self-consciousness and the brain. We argue that fMRI research is not always restricted to correlational statements when it is combined with perturbation techniques and can sometimes permit some degree of causal inferencing, such as when bodily illusions are examined with fMRI. In these instances, one is changing a participant’s conscious bodily self by experimentally perturbing mechanisms that are involved in multisensory integration.