scholarly journals Evidence for Multiple, Distinct Representations of the Human Body

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Schwoebel ◽  
H. Branch Coslett
Keyword(s):  
Human Body ◽  
Semantic Information ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Impaired Performance ◽  
On Line ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
And Control

Previous data from single-case and small group studies have suggested distinctions among structural, conceptual, and online sensorimotor representations of the human body. We developed a battery of tasks to further examine the prevalence and anatomic substrates of these body representations. The battery was administered to 70 stroke patients. Fifty-one percent of the patients were impaired relative to controls on at least one body representation measure. Further, principal components analysis of the patient data as well as direct comparisons of patient and control performance suggested a triple dissociation between measures of the 3 putative body representations. Consistent with previous distinctions between the “what” and “how” pathways, lesions of the left temporal lobe were most consistently associated with impaired performance on tasks assessing knowledge of the shape or lexical-semantic information about the body, whereas lesions of the dorsolateral frontal and parietal regions resulted in impaired performance on tasks requiring on-line coding of body posture.

scholarly journals A Framework for the Collection, Retention and Use of Human Body Parts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cordelia Mary Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Property Interest ◽  
Bioethical Issues ◽  
And Control

<p>Organ transplantation and biotechnological research depend on the availability of body parts, which necessitates the willing involvement of the public. The rapid development of biotechnology has led to a search for an adequate decision-making framework for the acquisition, retention and utilisation of body parts. It has also lead to disquiet about the commercialisation of research with the source being the only participant who is unable to benefit financially. In developing such a framework it is necessary to conceptualise the nature of the interest that individuals have in their bodies. The principle of autonomy may form a basis for structuring decision-making and weighing conflicting principles. As a society we value autonomy in the sense that a competent adult may make decisions about his or her own health care. The concept is that of an individual separated from others by a wall of rights. This may be of assistance as a basis for formulating competing rights, but this must then be mediated with reference to other principles. In this context this thesis applies the concepts of property interests to the human body. The purpose of this research is to consider selected bioethical issues in an attempt to formulate a principled approach to issues of consent and control over the body and its component parts. It argues that a living person should have a property interest in excised body parts during life. There should also be a property interest in the cadaver that arises at the point of death, which can be passed to the deceased's personal representative, who would be required to deal with the cadaver in accord with the previous instructions of the deceased. However, it does not argue that there are property interests in entire living persons. It does not suggest that property alone is adequate to resolve the issues, but that it should operate alongside existing concepts such as autonomy, informed consent and privacy. It proposes draft legislation to illustrate the operation of the suggested medico-legal framework. It recognises that any framework should be respectful of Maori cultural values, in light of the special position of Maori as tangata whenua, as expressed in the Treaty of Waitangi. It argues that the framework allows Maori the freedom to choose collective or individualistic decision-making, in recognition of the diversity of values within the Maori population. In addition, it considers areas where public policy might determine that the free disposition of this property interest should be restricted to protect vulnerable persons, such as incompetent persons and living organ donors.</p>

scholarly journals Implicit and Explicit Body Representations

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Longo
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Information ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
Position Sense ◽  
The Body ◽  
Size Perception ◽  
Somatosensory Processing ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Size And Shape ◽  
Tactile Localization ◽  
Somatosensory Information

Several forms of perception require that sensory information be referenced to representations of the size and shape of the body. This requirement is especially acute in somatosensation in which the main receptor surface (i.e., the skin) is itself coextensive with the body. This paper reviews recent research investigating the body representations underlying somatosensory information processing, including abilities such as tactile localization, tactile size perception, and position sense. These representations show remarkably large and stereotyped distortions of represented body size and shape. Intriguingly, these distortions appear to mirror distortions characteristic of somatosensory maps, though in attenuated form. In contrast, when asked to make overt judgments about perceived body form, participants are generally quite accurate. This pattern of results suggests that higher-level somatosensory processing relies on a class of implicit body representation, distinct from the conscious body image. I discuss the implications of these results for understanding the nature of body representation and the factors that influence it.

scholarly journals How to lose a hand: Sensory updating drives disembodiment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roland Pfister ◽  
Annika L. Klaffehn ◽  
Andreas Kalckert ◽  
Wilfried Kunde ◽  
David Dignath
Keyword(s):  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Rubber Hand ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Dynamic View ◽  
Single Instance ◽  
Multisensory Input ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Real Hand

AbstractBody representations are readily expanded based on sensorimotor experience. A dynamic view of body representations, however, holds that these representations cannot only be expanded but that they can also be narrowed down by disembodying elements of the body representation that are no longer warranted. Here we induced illusory ownership in terms of a moving rubber hand illusion and studied the maintenance of this illusion across different conditions. We observed ownership experience to decrease gradually unless participants continued to receive confirmatory multisensory input. Moreover, a single instance of multisensory mismatch – a hammer striking the rubber hand but not the real hand – triggered substantial and immediate disembodiment. Together, these findings support and extend previous theoretical efforts to model body representations through basic mechanisms of multisensory integration. They further support an updating model suggesting that embodied entities fade from the body representation if they are not refreshed continuously.

scholarly journals The Effect of a Virtual-Reality Full-Body Illusion on Body Representation in Obesity

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scarpina ◽  
Serino ◽  
Keizer ◽  
Chirico ◽  
Scacchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Size Estimation ◽  
Estimation Task ◽  
Bodily Experience ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Body Size Estimation ◽  
Full Body

Background. The effective illusory ownership over an artificial body in modulating body representations in healthy and eating disorders population has been repeatedly reported in recent literature. In this study, we extended this research in the field of obesity: specifically, we investigated whether ownership over a virtual body with a skinny abdomen might be successfully experienced by participants affected by obesity. Methods. Fifteen participants with obesity and fifteen healthy-weight participants took part at this study in which the VR-Full-Body Illusion was adopted. The strength of illusion was investigated through the traditional Embodiment Questionnaire, while changes in bodily experience were measured through a body size estimation task. Results. Participants with obesity as well as healthy-weight participants reported to experience the illusion. About the body size estimation task, both groups reported changes only in the estimation of the abdomen’s circumference after the experimental condition, in absence of any another difference. Discussion. Participants with obesity reported to experience the illusion over a skinny avatar, but the modulation of the bodily experience seems controversial. Future lines of research exploiting this technique for modulating body representations in obesity, specifically in terms of potential therapeutic use, were discussed.

scholarly journals Multimodal Contributions to Body Representation

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6-7) ◽  
pp. 635-661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Azañón ◽  
Luigi Tamè ◽  
Angelo Maravita ◽  
Sally A. Linkenauger ◽  
Elisa R. Ferrè ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Representation ◽  
Physical Object ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Neuropsychological Evidence ◽  
The Way

Our body is a unique entity by which we interact with the external world. Consequently, the way we represent our body has profound implications in the way we process and locate sensations and in turn perform appropriate actions. The body can be the subject, but also the object of our experience, providing information from sensations on the body surface and viscera, but also knowledge of the body as a physical object. However, the extent to which different senses contribute to constructing the rich and unified body representations we all experience remains unclear. In this review, we aim to bring together recent research showing important roles for several different sensory modalities in constructing body representations. At the same time, we hope to generate new ideas of how and at which level the senses contribute to generate the different levels of body representations and how they interact. We will present an overview of some of the most recent neuropsychological evidence about multisensory control of pain, and the way that visual, auditory, vestibular and tactile systems contribute to the creation of coherent representations of the body. We will focus particularly on some of the topics discussed in the symposium on Multimodal Contributions to Body Representation held on the 15th International Multisensory Research Forum (2015, Pisa, Italy).

scholarly journals A Framework for the Collection, Retention and Use of Human Body Parts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cordelia Mary Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Parts ◽  
Property Interest ◽  
Bioethical Issues ◽  
And Control

<p>Organ transplantation and biotechnological research depend on the availability of body parts, which necessitates the willing involvement of the public. The rapid development of biotechnology has led to a search for an adequate decision-making framework for the acquisition, retention and utilisation of body parts. It has also lead to disquiet about the commercialisation of research with the source being the only participant who is unable to benefit financially. In developing such a framework it is necessary to conceptualise the nature of the interest that individuals have in their bodies. The principle of autonomy may form a basis for structuring decision-making and weighing conflicting principles. As a society we value autonomy in the sense that a competent adult may make decisions about his or her own health care. The concept is that of an individual separated from others by a wall of rights. This may be of assistance as a basis for formulating competing rights, but this must then be mediated with reference to other principles. In this context this thesis applies the concepts of property interests to the human body. The purpose of this research is to consider selected bioethical issues in an attempt to formulate a principled approach to issues of consent and control over the body and its component parts. It argues that a living person should have a property interest in excised body parts during life. There should also be a property interest in the cadaver that arises at the point of death, which can be passed to the deceased's personal representative, who would be required to deal with the cadaver in accord with the previous instructions of the deceased. However, it does not argue that there are property interests in entire living persons. It does not suggest that property alone is adequate to resolve the issues, but that it should operate alongside existing concepts such as autonomy, informed consent and privacy. It proposes draft legislation to illustrate the operation of the suggested medico-legal framework. It recognises that any framework should be respectful of Maori cultural values, in light of the special position of Maori as tangata whenua, as expressed in the Treaty of Waitangi. It argues that the framework allows Maori the freedom to choose collective or individualistic decision-making, in recognition of the diversity of values within the Maori population. In addition, it considers areas where public policy might determine that the free disposition of this property interest should be restricted to protect vulnerable persons, such as incompetent persons and living organ donors.</p>

scholarly journals Body Representations and Cognitive Ontology: Drawing the boundaries of the body image

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Gadsby
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Body Schema ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Reciprocal Interaction ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Alice In Wonderland ◽  
The Relationship

The distinction between body image and body schema has been incredibly influential in cognitive neuroscience. Recently, researchers have begun to speculate about the relationship between these representations (Gadsby, 2017; 2018; Pitron &amp; de Vignemont, 2017; Pitron et al., 2018). Within this emerging literature, Pitron and colleagues (2018) proposed that the long-term body image and long-term body schema co-construct one another, through a process of reciprocal interaction. In proposing this model, they make two assumptions: that the long-term body image incorporates the spatial characteristics of tools, and that it is distorted in the case of Alice in wonderland syndrome. Here, I challenge these assumptions, with a closer examination of what the term “long-term body image” refers to. In doing so, I draw out some important taxonomic principles for research into body representation.

scholarly journals Action and Non-Action Oriented Body Representations: Insight from Behavioural and Grey Matter Modifications in Individuals with Lower Limb Amputation

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Palermo ◽  
Antonella Di Vita ◽  
Maddalena Boccia ◽  
Federico Nemmi ◽  
Stefano Brunelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limb ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Lower Limb Amputation ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Limb Amputation ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
The Impact

Objective. Following current model of body representations, we aimed to systematically investigate the association between brain modifications, in terms of grey matter loss, and body representation deficits, in terms of alterations of the body schema (BS) and of non-action oriented body representations (NA), in individuals with lower limb amputation (LLA). Method. BS and NA (both semantic and visuospatial NA) were evaluated in 11 healthy controls and in 14 LLA, considering the impact of clinical variables such as prosthesis use. The association between BS and NA deficits and grey matter loss was also explored in LLA by using Voxel Based Morphometry analysis. Results. LLA's performance was fine in terms of semantic NA, while it showed behavioural impairments both in BS and visuospatial NA as compared to healthy controls. Interestingly the visuospatial NA performance was related to the amount of prosthesis use. NA deficits in terms of visuospatial body map processing were associated with grey matter reduction in left (lobule VIII) and right (crus II) cerebellum, while BS deficits were associated with grey matter reduction in right anterior cingulate cortex and the bilateral cuneus. No significant association was detected for semantic NA. Conclusion. The study of BS and NA representations after limb loss has informed our understanding of the different dynamics (i.e., adjustments to body change) of such representations, supporting current cognitive models of body representation. The clinical relevance of present findings is also discussed.

scholarly journals Body Representations in Children with Cerebral Palsy

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Di Vita ◽  
Maria Cristina Cinelli ◽  
Simona Raimo ◽  
Maddalena Boccia ◽  
Stefano Buratin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Body Schema ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Body Representation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structural Representation ◽  
Body Representations ◽  
Children With Cerebral Palsy ◽  
And Performance

We constantly process top-down and bottom-up inputs concerning our own body that interact to form body representations (BR). Even if some evidence showed BR deficits in children with cerebral palsy, a systematic study that evaluates different kinds of BR in these children, taking into account the possible presence of a general deficit affecting non-body mental representations, is currently lacking. Here we aimed at investigating BR (i.e., Body Semantics, Body Structural Representation and Body Schema) in children with cerebral palsy (CP) taking into account performance in tasks involving body stimuli and performance in tasks involving non-body stimuli. Thirty-three CP (age range: 5–12 years) were compared with a group of 103 typically-developing children (TDC), matched for age and sex. 63.64% of children with CP showed a very poor performance in body representation processing. Present data also show alterations in different body representations in CP in specific developmental stages. In particular, CP and TDC performances did not differ between 5 to 7 years old, whereas CP between 8 and 12 years old showed deficits in the Body Structural Representation and Body Schema but not in Body Semantics. These findings revealed the importance of taking into account the overall development of cognitive domains when investigating specific stimuli processing in children who do not present a typical development and were discussed in terms of their clinical implications.

scholarly journals Iron Supplementation Influence on the Gut Microbiota and Probiotic Intake Effect in Iron Deficiency—A Literature-Based Review

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioana Gabriela Rusu ◽  
Ramona Suharoschi ◽  
Dan Cristian Vodnar ◽  
Carmen Rodica Pop ◽  
Sonia Ancuța Socaci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Iron Concentration ◽  
The Body ◽  
Oxidation Reduction ◽  
Global Issue ◽  
And Control ◽  
And Storage ◽  
Electron Transfer Mediation

Iron deficiency in the human body is a global issue with an impact on more than two billion individuals worldwide. The most important functions ensured by adequate amounts of iron in the body are related to transport and storage of oxygen, electron transfer, mediation of oxidation-reduction reactions, synthesis of hormones, the replication of DNA, cell cycle restoration and control, fixation of nitrogen, and antioxidant effects. In the case of iron deficiency, even marginal insufficiencies may impair the proper functionality of the human body. On the other hand, an excess in iron concentration has a major impact on the gut microbiota composition. There are several non-genetic causes that lead to iron deficiencies, and thus, several approaches in their treatment. The most common methods are related to food fortifications and supplements. In this review, following a summary of iron metabolism and its health implications, we analyzed the scientific literature for the influence of iron fortification and supplementation on the gut microbiome and the effect of probiotics, prebiotics, and/or synbiotics in iron absorption and availability for the organism.

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