Electroencephalographic evidence for the involvement of mirror neuron and error monitoring related processes in virtual body ownership

AbstractThe illusion that an artificial or virtual object becomes part of one’s body has been demonstrated and productively investigated in the past two decades. Empirical and theoretical accounts of this phenomenon suggest that the body ownership illusion relies not on a single process, but rather on the alignment of the biological and the alternative bodies across multiple aspects. However, the portrayal of these aspects and the demarcation of their neurophysiological correlates has yet to be established.Our study examines electroencephalographic (EEG) markers of two extensively studied systems in the context of virtual body ownership illusion: the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the error monitoring system (EMS). We designed an experimental manipulation of brief involuntary virtual hand bounces, which triggers both systems, and examined how the response of EEG markers of these systems to this manipulation is modulated by three aspects of body ownership: agency, visuotactile synchronicity, and semantic congruence between the participant’s hands and its virtual representation.We found evidence for enhanced MNS-related suppression of power at the Mu band in the synchronous and semantic congruence conditions. On the other hand, the EMS-related Pe/P300 wave was reduced by semantic congruence. This Pe/P300 effect was stronger among participants who exhibited higher acceptance of the spatial illusion and increased tendency for affective empathy. Mu power and Pe/P300 were not correlated, suggesting a dissociation between the distinct aspects of body ownership they probe. The findings suggest that synchronicity and semantic congruence induce sensorimotor sensitivity to the alternative body, whereas the latter parameter also buffers minor erroneous virtual motions. These neurophysiological markers may be added to the arsenal of body ownership probes, and integrated in VR rehabilitation protocols.

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Electroencephalographic evidence for the involvement of mirror-neuron and error-monitoring related processes in virtual body ownership

NeuroImage ◽

10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 207 ◽

pp. 116351

Author(s):

Gal Raz ◽

Guy Gurevitch ◽

Tom Vaknin ◽

Araz Aazamy ◽

Iddo Gefen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mirror Neuron ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Error Monitoring ◽

Virtual Body

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Sign Language Interpreting in Theatre: Using the Human Body to Create Pictures of the Human Soul

TranscUlturAl A Journal of Translation and Cultural Studies ◽

10.21992/t9n33b ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 45

Author(s):

Michael Richardson

Keyword(s):

Sign Language ◽

Mirror Neuron System ◽

Mirror Neuron ◽

The Body ◽

Literary Translation ◽

Human Soul ◽

Neuron System ◽

Theatre Studies ◽

Neurological Research ◽

Sign Language Interpreting

This paper explores theatrical interpreting for Deaf spectators, a specialism that both blurs the separation between translation and interpreting, and replaces these potentials with a paradigm in which the translator's body is central to the production of the target text. Meaningful written translations of dramatic texts into sign language are not currently possible. For Deaf people to access Shakespeare or Moliere in their own language usually means attending a sign language interpreted performance, a typically disappointing experience that fails to provide accessibility or to fulfil the potential of a dynamically equivalent theatrical translation. I argue that when such interpreting events fail, significant contributory factors are the challenges involved in producing such a target text and the insufficient embodiment of that text. The second of these factors suggests that the existing conference and community models of interpreting are insufficient in describing theatrical interpreting. I propose that a model drawn from Theatre Studies, namely psychophysical acting, might be more effective for conceptualising theatrical interpreting. I also draw on theories from neurological research into the Mirror Neuron System to suggest that a highly visual and physical approach to performance (be that by actors or interpreters) is more effective in building a strong actor-spectator interaction than a performance in which meaning is conveyed by spoken words. Arguably this difference in language impact between signed and spoken is irrelevant to hearing audiences attending spoken language plays, but I suggest that for all theatre translators the implications are significant: it is not enough to create a literary translation as the target text; it is also essential to produce a text that suggests physicality. The aim should be the creation of a text which demands full expression through the body, the best picture of the human soul and the fundamental medium of theatre.

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Virtual training leads to real acute physical, cognitive, and neural benefits on healthy adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-019-3591-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dalila Burin ◽

Noriki Yamaya ◽

Rie Ogitsu ◽

Ryuta Kawashima

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Person Perspective ◽

Virtual Body

Abstract Background Keeping a certain level of physical activity has beneficial effects on the body itself but also, surprisingly, on cognition: specifically, physical high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise (HIE) can show improvement on cognitive executive functions. Although, in some cases performing strength or aerobic training is problematic or not feasible. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) can induce the illusory feeling of ownership and agency over a moving virtual body, therefore showing comparable physiological reactions: for example, if an individual is sitting on a chair but his virtual body climbs a hill, the individual’s heart rate increases coherently, as if he is actually walking. In this study, we investigate whether this same illusion can show beneficial consequences on the body as well as on executive functions (using the color-word matching Stroop task) and on its neural substrates (using functional near-infrared spectroscopy [fNIRS]). Methods In a cross-over randomized controlled trial, 30 healthy young adults will experience HIE training in IVR (i.e. the virtual body will perform eight sets of 30 s of running followed by 30 s of slow walking, while the participant is completely still) according to two random-ordered conditions: during the experimental condition, the virtual body is displayed in first-person perspective (1PP), while in the control condition, the virtual body is displayed in third-person perspective (3PP). To confirm that individuals have the illusion of ownership and agency over the virtual body in 1PP (and not in 3PP), we will record the heart rate, in addition to subjective questionnaires. Before and after every IVR sessions (one week apart), we will measure cortical hemodynamic changes in the participants’ prefrontal cortex using the fNIRS device during the Stroop task’s execution. Discussion From a theoretical perspective, we could prove that the sense of body ownership and agency can modulate physical and cognitive parameters, even in the absence of actual movements; from a clinical perspective, these results could be useful to train cognition and body simultaneously, in a completely safe environment. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000034255. Registered on 1 October 2018.

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The body fades away: investigating the effects of transparency of an embodied virtual body on pain threshold and body ownership

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep13948 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Matteo Martini ◽

Konstantina Kilteni ◽

Antonella Maselli ◽

Maria V. Sanchez-Vives

Keyword(s):

Pain Threshold ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Virtual Body

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Virtual training leads to real acute physical, cognitive and neural benefits on healthy adults: study protocol for a randomized-controlled trial

10.21203/rs.2.9339/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Dalila Burin ◽

Noriki Yamaya ◽

Rie Ogitsu ◽

Ryuta Kawashima

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Person Perspective ◽

Virtual Body

Abstract BACKGROUND Keeping a certain level of physical activity has beneficial effects on the body itself but also, surprisingly, on cognition: specifically, physical high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise (HIE) can show improvement on cognitive executive functions. Although, in some cases performing strength or aerobic training is problematic or not feasible. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) can induce the illusory feeling of ownership and agency over a moving virtual body, showing therefore comparable physiological reactions: for example, if a subject is sitting on a chair but the own virtual body climbs a hill, the subject’s heart rate increases coherently, as if he’s actually walking. In this study, we want to investigate whether this same illusion can show beneficial consequences on the body but also on executive functions (using the colour-word matching Stroop task) and on its neural substrates (using the functional near infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS). METHODS In a cross-over randomized controlled trial, 30 healthy young adults will experience a HIE training in IVR (i.e., the virtual body will perform eight sets of 30 seconds of running followed by 30 seconds of slow walking, while the subject is completely still) according to two random-ordered conditions: during the experimental condition, the virtual body is displayed in the first-person perspective (1PP), while in the control condition, the virtual body is displayed in third-person perspective (3PP). To confirm that in 1PP (and not in 3PP) subjects have the illusion of ownership and agency over the virtual body, we will record the heart rate, in addition to subjective questionnaires. Before and after every IVR sessions (one week apart), we will measure cortical hemodynamic changes in the participants’ prefrontal cortex (PFC) using the fNIRS device during the Stroop task’s execution. DISCUSSION From a theoretical perspective, we could prove that the sense of body ownership and agency can modulate physical and cognitive parameters, even in absence of actual movements; from a clinical perspective, these results could be useful to train cognition and body simultaneously, in a completely safe environment. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000034255. Registered on 1st October 2018.

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Virtual training leads to real acute physical, cognitive and neural benefits on healthy adults: study protocol for a randomized-controlled trial

10.21203/rs.2.9339/v2 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Dalila Burin ◽

Noriki Yamaya ◽

Rie Ogitsu ◽

Ryuta Kawashima

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Person Perspective ◽

Virtual Body

Abstract BACKGROUND: Keeping a certain level of physical activity has beneficial effects on the body itself but also, surprisingly, on cognition: specifically, physical high-intensity intermittent aerobic exercise (HIE) can show improvement on cognitive executive functions. Although, in some cases performing strength or aerobic training is problematic or not feasible. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) can induce the illusory feeling of ownership and agency over a moving virtual body, showing therefore comparable physiological reactions: for example, if a subject is sitting on a chair but the own virtual body climbs a hill, the subject’s heart rate increases coherently, as if he’s actually walking. In this study, we want to investigate whether this same illusion can show beneficial consequences on the body but also on executive functions (using the colour-word matching Stroop task) and on its neural substrates (using the functional near infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS). METHODS: In a cross-over randomized controlled trial, 30 healthy young adults will experience a HIE training in IVR (i.e., the virtual body will perform eight sets of 30 seconds of running followed by 30 seconds of slow walking, while the subject is completely still) according to two random-ordered conditions: during the experimental condition, the virtual body is displayed in the first-person perspective (1PP), while in the control condition, the virtual body is displayed in third-person perspective (3PP). To confirm that in 1PP (and not in 3PP) subjects have the illusion of ownership and agency over the virtual body, we will record the heart rate, in addition to subjective questionnaires. Before and after every IVR sessions (one week apart), we will measure cortical hemodynamic changes in the participants’ prefrontal cortex (PFC) using the fNIRS device during the Stroop task’s execution. DISCUSSION: From a theoretical perspective, we could prove that the sense of body ownership and agency can modulate physical and cognitive parameters, even in absence of actual movements; from a clinical perspective, these results could be useful to train cognition and body simultaneously, in a completely safe environment. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, UMIN000019832. Registered on 25st September 2018.

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Disembodied Mind: Cortical Changes Following Brainstem Injury in Patients with Locked-in Syndrome

The Open Neuroimaging Journal ◽

10.2174/1874440001610010032 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 32-40 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Francesca Pistoia ◽

Riccardo Cornia ◽

Massimiliano Conson ◽

Olivia Gosseries ◽

Antonio Carolei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Right Hemisphere ◽

Mirror Neuron System ◽

Mirror Neuron ◽

Motor Impairment ◽

Insular Cortex ◽

The Body ◽

Time Interval ◽

Process Data ◽

Motor Disability ◽

Pars Opercularis

Locked-in syndrome (LIS) following ventral brainstem damage is the most severe form of motor disability. Patients are completely entrapped in an unresponsive body despite consciousness is preserved. Although the main feature of LIS is this extreme motor impairment, minor non-motor dysfunctions such as motor imagery defects and impaired emotional recognition have been reported suggesting an alteration of embodied cognition, defined as the effects that the body and its performances may have on cognitive domains. We investigated the presence of structural cortical changes in LIS, which may account for the reported cognitive dysfunctions. For this aim, magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired in 11 patients with LIS (6 males and 5 females; mean age: 52.3±5.2SD years; mean time interval from injury to evaluation: 9±1.2SD months) and 44 healthy control subjects matching patients for age, sex and education. Freesurfer software was used to process data and to estimate cortical volumes in LIS patients as compared to healthy subjects. Results showed a selective cortical volume loss in patients involving the superior frontal gyrus, the pars opercularis and the insular cortex in the left hemisphere, and the superior and medium frontal gyrus, the pars opercularis, the insular cortex, and the superior parietal lobule in the right hemisphere. As these structures are typically associated with the mirror neuron system, which represents the neural substrate for embodied simulation processes, our results provide neuroanatomical support for potential disembodiment in LIS.

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Impact of visuomotor feedback on the embodiment of virtual hands detached from the body

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79255-5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sofia Seinfeld ◽

Jörg Müller

Keyword(s):

Motor Performance ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ownership ◽

Motor Tasks ◽

Person Perspective ◽

Skin Conductance Responses ◽

Contradictory Evidence ◽

The Impact ◽

Physiological Reactions ◽

Virtual Body

AbstractIt has been shown that mere observation of body discontinuity leads to diminished body ownership. However, the impact of body discontinuity has mainly been investigated in conditions where participants observe a collocated static virtual body from a first-person perspective. This study explores the influence of body discountinuity on the sense of embodiment, when rich visuomotor correlations between a real and an artificial virtual body are established. In two experiments, we evaluated body ownership and motor performance, when participants interacted in virtual reality either using virtual hands connected or disconnected from a body. We found that even under the presence of congruent visuomotor feedback, mere observation of body discontinuity resulted in diminished embodiment. Contradictory evidence was found in relation to motor performance, where further research is needed to understand the role of visual body discontinuity in motor tasks. Preliminary findings on physiological reactions to a threat were also assessed, indicating that body visual discontinuity does not differently impact threat-related skin conductance responses. The present results are in accordance with past evidence showing that body discontinuity negatively impacts embodiment. However, further research is needed to understand the influence of visuomotor feedback and body morphological congruency on motor performance and threat-related physiological reactions.

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Predicting the actions of other agents

10.31237/osf.io/jenv9 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Lincoln J Colling

Keyword(s):

Joint Action ◽

Mirror Neuron System ◽

Mirror Neuron ◽

Empirical Support ◽

The Body ◽

Action Prediction ◽

Movement Dynamics ◽

Action Coordination ◽

Timely Fashion

The ability to predict the actions of other agents is vital for joint action tasks where the actions of two actors must be coordinated in a timely fashion. Recent accounts suggest that action prediction might be implemented by a system that allows actors to generate predictions about perceived actions by emulating those actions using their own motor systems. In particular, it has been suggested that actors are able to use their own inverse models for action to predict what actions another agent might select in order to realise a particular goal, and that actors are able to use their own forward models for action to generate predictions about the unfolding dynamics of perceived actions. The body of this thesis is divided into three sections (Part II–IV) and examines the empirical support for these hypotheses as well as their theoretical implications. In Part II, Chapter 2 confirms that observers are able to generate more accurate predictions when their own movement dynamics more closely match the movement dynamics of the observed action. Further more, the results also suggest that the output of the prediction system is available in a timely fashion suggesting that it can be used for joint action coordination. Chapter 3 examines what factors might assist observers to reconstruct the motor codes responsible for generating perceived actions by specially examining the inìuence of limb and joint in formation on the prediction of perceived actions. The results suggest that limb and joint information allows observers to generate more accurate predictions about observed actions, but that this effect is limited to those observers who have motor experience with the observed actions. Chapter 4 rules out an alternative explanation for the results obtained in Chapter 2, that differences in action prediction can be explained by self-similarity in action production between the action production and subsequent action prediction phases of the experiment. In Part III, Chapter 5 presents a framework for understanding joint action coordination wherein an attempt is made to extend well understood mechanisms of action control into the domain of joint action. This framework might assist with trying to understand the phenomenology of joint action and experiences such as group flow. In Part IV, Chapter 6 examines the role of action prediction mechanisms in a domain other than traditional conceptions of joint action. Specifically, it examines the role of action prediction and action synchronisation in musically evoked emotion. Finally, the implications of this thesis are discussed as they relate to our understanding of the nature of joint action, phenomenology of joint action, functions of the mirror-neuron system, and the role of sensorimotor systems in cognition.

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