Binding Personal and Peripersonal Space: Evidence from Tactile Extinction

2001 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Vaishnavi ◽  
Jesse Calhoun ◽  
Anjan Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Sensorimotor Integration ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies ◽  
Tactile Integration ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Representations Of Space

Behavioral and neurophysiological studies suggest that the brain constructs different representations of space. Among these representations are personal and peripersonal space. Personal space refers to the space occupied by our bodies. Peripersonal space refers to the space surrounding our bodies, which can be reached by our limbs. How these two representations are bound to give a unified sense of space in which humans act is not clear. We tested 10 patients with tactile extinction to investigate this issue. Tactile extinction is an attentional disorder in which patients are unaware of being touched on their contralesional limb if they are also touched simultaneously on their ipsilesional limb. We hypothesized that mechanisms that bind personal and peripersonal representations would improve these patients' awareness of being touched on their contralesional limbs. Visual-tactile integration and intentional movements were considered candidate mechanisms. Patients were more likely to be aware of contralesional touch when looking towards their contralesional limb than when looking towards their ipsilesional limb, and when actively moving on tactile probes than when receiving tactile stimuli passively. The improved awareness of being touched on the contralesional limb under these conditions suggests that cross-sensory and sensorimotor integration help bind personal and peripersonal space.

scholarly journals From embodying tool to embodying alien limb: sensory-motor modulation of personal and extrapersonal space

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. 121-126
Author(s):  
Anna Berti
Keyword(s):  
Neural Circuits ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
The Body ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Alien Limb ◽  
Extrapersonal Space ◽  
Sensory Motor ◽  
The Brain

AbstractYears ago, it was demonstrated (e.g., Rizzolatti et al. in Handbook of neuropsychology, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam, 2000) that the brain does not encode the space around us in a homogeneous way, but through neural circuits that map the space relative to the distance that objects of interest have from the body. In monkeys, relatively discrete neural systems, characterized by neurons with specific neurophysiological responses, seem to be dedicated either to represent the space that can be reached by the hand (near/peripersonal space) or to the distant space (far/extrapersonal space). It was also shown that the encoding of spaces has dynamic aspects because they can be remapped by the use of tools that trigger different actions (e.g., Iriki et al. 1998). In this latter case, the effect of the tool depends on the modulation of personal space, that is the space of our body. In this paper, I will review and discuss selected research, which demonstrated that also in humans: 1 spaces are encoded in a dynamic way; 2 encoding can be modulated by the use of tool that the system comes to consider as parts of the own body; 3 body representations are not fixed, but they are fragile and subject to change to the point that we can incorporate not only the tools necessary for action, but even limbs belonging to other people. What embodiment of tools and of alien limb tell us about body representations is then briefly discussed.

Action and social spaces in typical development and in autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 285-300
Author(s):  
Michela Candini ◽  
Giuseppe di Pellegrino ◽  
Francesca Frassinetti
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Cooperative Interaction ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Representations Of Space ◽  
Interpersonal Space

Research in neuroscience reveals that the brain constructs multiple representations of space. Here, we primarily focus on interpersonal representation—i.e. the region of space immediately surrounding our body, in which we interact with other people, in individuals with a deficit of social interaction, such as autism. We review results from several studies, revealing that autism affects the interpersonal space regulation, influencing both its size (permeability) and its changes depending on social interaction (plasticity). Indeed, individuals with autism prefer larger or shorter interpersonal space compared to healthy controls, thereby indicating a deficit of interpersonal space permeability. Furthermore, individuals with autism fail to modify their interpersonal space following a brief cooperative interaction with an unfamiliar adult, suggesting a deficit in interpersonal space plasticity. Interestingly, the deficit observed in interpersonal space plasticity depends on the person’s perspective and reflects the severity of social impairment. Finally, the link between social competence, action, and space is addressed, showing that autism affects social-interpersonal space, but not action-peripersonal space.

scholarly journals Maternal brain gain: enlarged representation of the peripersonal space in pregnancy

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavia Cardini ◽  
Natalie Fatemi-Ghomi ◽  
Katarzyna Gajewska-Knapik ◽  
Victoria Gooch ◽  
Jane Elizabeth Aspell
Keyword(s):  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
The Body ◽  
Neural Representation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Third Trimester ◽  
Pregnancy And Postpartum ◽  
Maternal Brain ◽  
Multisensory Representation ◽  
Tactile Integration ◽  
The Brain

Our ability to maintain a coherent bodily self despite continuous changes within and outside our body relies on the highly flexible multisensory representation of the body, and of the space surrounding it: the peripersonal space (PPS). The aim of our study was to investigate whether during pregnancy - when extremely rapid changes in body size and shape occur - a likewise rapid plastic reorganization of the neural representation of the PPS occurs. We used an audio-tactile integration task to measure the PPS boundary at different stages of pregnancy. We found that in the second trimester of pregnancy and postpartum women did not show differences in their PPS size as compared to the control group (non-pregnant women). However, in the third trimester the PPS was larger than the controls' PPS and the shift between representation of near and far space was more gradual. We therefore conclude that during pregnancy the brain adapts to the sudden bodily changes, by expanding the representation of the space around the body. This may represent a mechanism to protect the vulnerable abdomen from injury from surrounding objects.

scholarly journals Capturing the dynamics of peripersonal space by integrating sound propagation properties and expectancy effects

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lise Hobeika ◽  
Marine Taffou ◽  
Thibaut Carpentier ◽  
Olivier Warusfel ◽  
Isabelle Viaud-Delmon
Keyword(s):  
Sound Propagation ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
The Body ◽  
Logarithmic Scale ◽  
List Type ◽  
Expectancy Effects ◽  
Near Space ◽  
Propagation Properties ◽  
Tactile Integration

AbstractHighlightsLogarithmically distributed auditory distances provides an apt granularity of PPSMeasuring expectation helps to interpret behavioral impact of audiotactile integrationTactile RTs follows a logarithmic decrease due to audiotactile integrationPeripersonal space is better characterized and quantified with this refinementBackgroundHumans perceive near space and far space differently. Peripersonal space, i.e. the space directly surrounding the body, is often studied using paradigms based on auditory-tactile integration. In these paradigms, reaction time to a tactile stimulus is measured in the presence of a concurrent auditory looming stimulus.New MethodWe propose here to refine the experimental procedure considering sound propagation properties in order to improve granularity and relevance of auditory-tactile integration measures. We used a logarithmic distribution of distances for this purpose. We also want to disentangle behavioral contributions of the targeted audiotactile integration mechanisms from expectancy effects. To this aim, we added to the protocol a baseline with a fixed sound distance.ResultsExpectation contributed significantly to overall behavioral responses. Subtracting it isolated the audiotactile effect due to the stimulus proximity. This revealed that audiotactile integration effects have to be tested on a logarithmic scale of distances, and that they follow a linear variation on this scale.Comparison with Existing Method(s)The granularity of the current method is more relevant, providing higher spatial resolution in the vicinity of the body. Furthermore, most of the existing methods propose a sigmoid fitting, which rests on the intuitive framework that PPS is an in-or-out zone. Our results suggest that behavioral effects follow a logarithmic decrease, thus a response graduated in space.ConclusionsThe proposed protocol design and method of analysis contribute to refine the experimental investigation of the factors influencing and modifying multisensory integration phenomena in the space surrounding the body.

Dreaming and the brain: Toward a cognitive neuroscience of conscious states

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 793-842 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Allan Hobson ◽  
Edward F. Pace-Schott ◽  
Robert Stickgold
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Rem Sleep ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Nrem Sleep ◽  
Dimensional Model ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Brain Physiology ◽  
Neurophysiological Studies ◽  
The Brain

Sleep researchers in different disciplines disagree about how fully dreaming can be explained in terms of brain physiology. Debate has focused on whether REM sleep dreaming is qualitatively different from nonREM (NREM) sleep and waking. A review of psychophysiological studies shows clear quantitative differences between REM and NREM mentation and between REM and waking mentation. Recent neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies also differentiate REM, NREM, and waking in features with phenomenological implications. Both evidence and theory suggest that there are isomorphisms between the phenomenology and the physiology of dreams. We present a three-dimensional model with specific examples from normally and abnormally changing conscious states.

Interneurones in Crab Connectives (Carcinus Maenas (L.)): Giant Fibres

1974 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-613
Author(s):  
PETER J. FRASER
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Carcinus Maenas ◽  
Dendritic Trees ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Giant Fibres ◽  
The Brain

Five interneurones with cell bodies and dendritic trees in the brain have axons 40-60µm diameter in one oesophageal connective. The fibres are phasic and multimodal, responding to visual and tactile stimuli. They have complex adaptation properties and two are suppressed completely during certain movements of the animal. The role of the fibres in overt behaviour has not been revealed by electrical stimulation or by examination of output in free walking animals. Several smaller interneurones in the connective are briefly described anatomically and physiologically.

Peripersonal space

2021 ◽  
pp. 3-16
Author(s):  
Frédérique de Vignemont ◽  
Andrea Serino ◽  
Hong Yu Wong ◽  
Alessandro Farnè
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
Impact Prediction ◽  
New Methods ◽  
The Social ◽  
Affective Perception ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Way

Research in cognitive neuroscience indicates that we process the space surrounding our body in a specific way, both for protecting our body from immediate danger and for interacting with the environment. This research has direct implications for philosophical issues as diverse as self-location, sensorimotor theories of perception, and affective perception. This chapter briefly describes the overall directions that some of these discussions might take. But, beforehand, it is important to fully grasp what the notion of peripersonal space involves. One of the most difficult questions that the field has had to face these past 30 years is to define peripersonal space. Although it bears some relations to the social notion of personal space, to the sensorimotor notion of reaching space and to the spatial notion of egocentric space, there is something unique about peripersonal space and the special way we represent it. One of the main challenges is thus to offer a satisfactory definition of peripersonal space that is specific enough to account for its peculiar spatial, multisensory, plastic, and motor properties. Emphasis can be put on perception or on action, but also on impact prediction or defence preparation. However, each new definition brings with it new methods to experimentally investigate peripersonal space. There is then the risk of losing the unity of the notion of peripersonal space within this multiplicity of conceptions and methods. This chapter offers an overview of the key notions in the field, the way they have been operationalized, and the questions they leave open.

Peri-personal space as an interface for self-environment interaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 17-46
Author(s):  
Jean-Paul Noel ◽  
Tommaso Bertoni ◽  
Andrea Serino
Keyword(s):  
Motor System ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Multisensory Processing ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Personal Space ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Specific System ◽  
Physical Interactions ◽  
Psychophysical Studies ◽  
The Brain

The brain has developed a specific system to encode the space closely surrounding our body, our peri-personal space (PPS). This space is the theatre where all physical interactions with objects in the environment occur, and thus is postulated to play a critical role in both approaching and defensive behaviour. Here, we first describe the classic neurophysiological findings that have led researchers to conceive of PPS as a multisensory-motor interface. This historical perspective is given to clarify what properties are strictly related to PPS encoding, and what characteristics bear out or are related to PPS. Then, in an effort to uncover gaps in knowledge that often go unnoticed, we critically examine the association between PPS and i) multisensory processing, and ii) the motor system—its strongest allies. We do not mean to say that PPS isn’t multisensory-motor, simply to pinpoint current research shortcomings. Subsequently, we detail more recent psychophysical studies, highlighting the extreme plasticity of PPS, and its putative role in bodily self-consciousness and social cognition. Lastly, we briefly discuss computational models of PPS. Throughout the chapter, we particularly attempt to emphasize open areas of investigation. By critically evaluating past findings, many of them our own, we hope to provide a forward-looking perspective on the study of PPS.

scholarly journals Peripersonal Space and Bodily Self-Consciousness: Implications for Psychological Trauma-Related Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Rabellino ◽  
Paul A. Frewen ◽  
Margaret C. McKinnon ◽  
Ruth A. Lanius
Keyword(s):  
Multisensory Processing ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Psychological Trauma ◽  
Peripersonal Space ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Altered States ◽  
Tactile Stimuli ◽  
Defensive Role

Peripersonal space (PPS) is defined as the space surrounding the body where we can reach or be reached by external entities, including objects or other individuals. PPS is an essential component of bodily self-consciousness that allows us to perform actions in the world (e.g., grasping and manipulating objects) and protect our body while interacting with the surrounding environment. Multisensory processing plays a critical role in PPS representation, facilitating not only to situate ourselves in space but also assisting in the localization of external entities at a close distance from our bodies. Such abilities appear especially crucial when an external entity (a sound, an object, or a person) is approaching us, thereby allowing the assessment of the salience of a potential incoming threat. Accordingly, PPS represents a key aspect of social cognitive processes operational when we interact with other people (for example, in a dynamic dyad). The underpinnings of PPS have been investigated largely in human models and in animals and include the operation of dedicated multimodal neurons (neurons that respond specifically to co-occurring stimuli from different perceptive modalities, e.g., auditory and tactile stimuli) within brain regions involved in sensorimotor processing (ventral intraparietal sulcus, ventral premotor cortex), interoception (insula), and visual recognition (lateral occipital cortex). Although the defensive role of the PPS has been observed in psychopathology (e.g., in phobias) the relation between PPS and altered states of bodily consciousness remains largely unexplored. Specifically, PPS representation in trauma-related disorders, where altered states of consciousness can involve dissociation from the body and its surroundings, have not been investigated. Accordingly, we review here: (1) the behavioral and neurobiological literature surrounding trauma-related disorders and its relevance to PPS; and (2) outline future research directions aimed at examining altered states of bodily self-consciousness in trauma related-disorders.

Spinomuscular Coherence in Monkeys Performing a Precision Grip Task

2008 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 2012-2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomohiko Takei ◽  
Kazuhiko Seki
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Sensorimotor Integration ◽  
Unique Feature ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Precision Grip ◽  
Muscle Physiology ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Spinal Interneurons ◽  
Arm Muscles ◽  
The Brain

We recorded local field potentials (LFPs) from cervical spinal cord (C5–C8) in monkeys performing a precision grip task and examined their coherence with electromyographic (EMG) activities (spinomuscular coherence) recorded from hand and arm muscles. Among 164 LFP-EMG pairs, significant coherence was found in 34 pairs (21%). We classified the coherence into two groups based on its frequency range, narrowband coherence, and broadband coherence. The narrowband coherence was restricted to discrete frequencies in the range of 14–55 Hz and was widespread throughout the superficial and deep gray matter. In contrast, the broadband coherence distributed between 10 and 95 Hz and was found only in the ventral half of the spinal cord. The narrowband coherence suggests that oscillations, which have been described in many motor control areas of the brain, could also pass though spinal interneurons to affect motor output and sensorimotor integration. On the other hand, the broadband coherence could be a unique feature of spinal motoneuron-muscle physiology.

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