Subcortical contributions to the sense of body ownership
Laura Crucianelli, A. Reader, H. Ehrsson
Brain : a journal of neurology October 17, 2023 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad359 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key findings | Argues that subcortical structures, especially the cerebellum and putamen, may contribute to generating and maintaining the sense of body ownership, a topic the authors say has received relatively little attention compared with cortical regions such as premotor and posterior parietal cortex. Proposes new research avenues to test these subcortical contributions. |
Abstract
Abstract The sense of body ownership (i.e. the feeling that our body or its parts belong to us) plays a key role in bodily self-consciousness and is believed to stem from multisensory integration. Experimental paradigms such as the rubber hand illusion have been developed to allow the controlled manipulation of body ownership in laboratory settings, providing effective tools for investigating malleability in the sense of body ownership and the boundaries that distinguish self from other. Neuroimaging studies of body ownership converge on the involvement of several cortical regions, including the premotor cortex and posterior parietal cortex. However, relatively less attention has been paid to subcortical structures that may also contribute to body ownership perception, such as the cerebellum and putamen. Here, on the basis of neuroimaging and neuropsychological observations, we provide an overview of relevant subcortical regions and consider their potential role in generating and maintaining a sense of ownership over the body. We also suggest novel avenues for future research targeting the role of subcortical regions in making sense of the body as our own.